Our New Neighbor
by lovingchoco
Summary: AU: Katniss' life if the Hunger Games never existed. Katniss is in High-school having a pretty normal life. When Gale leaves the district, Katniss gets new neighbors, the Mellarks.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Before I begin my story, I just want to tell everybody that this is my first fanfiction ever, and I hope you enjoy it :) It's an AU, mostly in Katniss' POV. This is a story about what Katniss' life might be like if Snow hadn't been born and the Hunger Games didn't exist. If you like it don't forget to review (:**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

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_Chapter 1_

**Katniss' POV**

I sat on my porch with Prim, watching Gale walk towards us. Tonight he was leaving. His mother had remarried, and they were all going to live in District 2. Gale didn't want to, I could tell. But he kept telling me that he didn't mind going.

He smiled happily at us. "Hiya Prim. Hi Catnip." He looked into my eyes, and I could see that although he was trying to look happy, he felt miserable. "Have you packed everything?" I asked.

He nodded and turned to Prim. "Prim, I'm really going to miss you. Look after your sister for me. And stop feeding Buttercup, he's turning into a pig." He said and half-smiled. "Of course Gale, and Buttercup isn't fat, he's just very healthy!" She turned around and walked into the house. I chuckled.

Gale looked at me. "You know how I feel about you, Katniss. We could still run away. Our families would be fine. I-" I put my arms around him. "No Gale. You have to go. For your family. For yourself. You'll be happier there. Don't worry, we'll all be fine, and you'll be used to District 2 in no time. I'll send you a letter every 2 weeks, OK?" He smiled sadly. "OK.. I'll write you a letter as soon as I get there. Bye Catnip."

He gave me one last hug and walked away. I couldn't believe it. He was one of my only friends. Of course there was also Madge. But Gale was my best friend. I loved him. He had asked me before if I wanted to be his girlfriend, but I never said yes. He was like the brother I never had.

I looked at my best friend for the last time, and walked back in to the house.

_Later that day.._

Prim was jumping around the house looking for her schoolbooks. Tomorrow was the first day of school again. I was happy I still had Madge. I never particularly liked school, but I'd get in to trouble if I didn't go. And Madge made it bearable enough.

I grabbed my schoolbag and filled it with my books. I then checked my bike to see if the wheels were still pumped up. Most kids in the area went to school with their car or motorcycle. But since my Dad had died, we didn't have a lot of money. So Prim and I went to school on small bikes. It was still better than walking all the way.

I set my alarm clock for 7 and put Prim to bed. My mum wasn't home yet. She never came home till about 11 P.M., and then she had to leave again at 6 A.M.. So we never actually saw our mother. I didn't mind. I had stopped relying on her years ago.

I walked to my bedroom and looked out of my window. Across my bedroom window was the window of the neighbors' house. Gale lives there. Well, lived there. I forgot he didn't anymore.

When I woke up the next morning, it wasn't because my alarm clock went off. It was because there was a lot of noise coming from outside. I grabbed my old slippers and went outside.

People were already moving in to Gale's old house. That was quick. I saw a man, he didn't look to old. He was staring and walked over to me.

"Hi, I'm Mr. Mellark, we just moved here." He said friendly. "I'm Katniss Everdeen, we're your neighbors. Nice to meet you." He shook my hand and smiled at me. He seemed very nice. Prim came running towards us.

"Hi, I'm Prim, are you our new neighbor?" She asked the smiling man. "Yes, you must be Katniss' sister. Nice to meet you Prim" Prim smiled and ran back into the house.

"You have an adorable little sister" Mr. Mellark said. I smiled. It wasn't the first time I had heard that. Everybody just seemed to love Prim.

"Ah, I'll show you the rest of the family," said Mr. Mellark, "That boy over there, that's Rye, he's one of my three sons. And that one, that's Leo." He said proudly, obviously he was very fond of his sons. "And that's … my wife." His shoulders dropped and the smile vanished.

I looked at the woman and was surprised. The two boys I saw looked very happy, like their father. But the mother looked like someone just told her she only had 24 hours left to live.

"You'll have to meet my other son later, he must be inside at the moment. Anyway, I'll let you get dressed," he said teasingly, looking at my pajamas, "It was nice meeting you Katniss!" He waved and went back to helping his sons carry some boxes.

I waved back and went inside to get ready for school. Before I knew it I was parking my bike and waiting for Madge. She was always 5 minutes later than me, because she had a chauffeur to bring and collect her from school.

I finished locking my bike and stepped back. "Ow!" I accidentally stepped on someones toe. It was Madge. "Sorry Madge." I smiled, apologizing. "It's okay. You ready for another year full of fun and games?" She asked, sarcastically. I grunted and we walked in to school. A lot of our classes were at the same time, but I now had maths and Madge had history. So I sat down at a chair down the back. There was then only one seat left, right next to mine.

From the corner of my eye I saw someone sit down a few moments later. I didn't communicate with anybody except for Madge and Gale really, so I usually avoided eye contact with other people.

"Hi." I looked to my right and saw a blonde boy, with the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. He looked at me with a gigantic smile on his face. "I'm Peeta Mellark, I'm new here." He shook my hand and then looked at me. I realized I had been staring and saying nothing. "I- I'm Katniss Everdeen. I think I met your father this morning." He looked surprised. "My father did mention something about meeting our new neighbors. So we live next to each other. Great!" He smiled and I couldn't stop myself from smiling too.

Something about him just made me feel.. happy. The class began and the teacher started talking. I kept glancing at Peeta. He was quite tall, had big muscles and always looked happy. When he caught me staring at him, I instantly looked away and felt my face turn into a tomato. He grinned and I felt myself turning even redder.

The class finally ended, I grabbed my books and nearly ran to my locker. There was something about Peeta.. something that made him be all I could think about.

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**Authors Note: So this was my attempt at an AU-story. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this story, probably will if I get some reviews. Oh and I'm terribly sorry if the grammar is wrong. I'm only 14 and my first language isn't English. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you like the idea as much as I do! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Oh my god, within a half an hour after I uploaded it, I got a load of e-mails saying people added my story to story alert, or added me to their favorite author, I couldn't believe it! :D Anyway, I'm glad you all like the idea. I think this is going to be a rather long story. Not sure if I'm going to let it be Katniss' POV all the time, I'll probably switch so now and then after a few chapters. By the way, this chapter begins on the same day as the last one ended. Here's chapter 2, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 2_

**Katniss POV**

When I got back home, I tried to make my homework. Tried. I kept glancing towards the window. I didn't even understand _why_ I kept looking. Peeta was just another boy who probably wont ever talk to me again.

After a while Prim came in. "Do you wanna watch a movie?" "Sure" I replied. We sat down and Prim chose a movie. After a few minutes she looked at me and said "Katniss, are you okay? You look a bit... I don't know.. distracted or something." "I'm fine little duck, don't worry" I said. She smiled and watched the movie again.

The movie soon ended and it was time for bed. I brought Prim up and then went to my own bed. I sat down and looked out of the window. I nearly jumped off the bed in shock. Sitting in the house across from mine, was Peeta Mellark.

He was sitting on his own bed as well. He was putting on some big, woolly socks. He suddenly looked up. He then looked out of his window. He saw me. Oh my god, _he saw me staring_. I quickly ran to the curtains and closed them. Did I just see him smiling at me?

The next morning I woke up and quickly had a shower. I got dressed, brushed my hair and teeth, put on my shoes and grabbed my bag. I walked out of the door and started unlocking my bike. "Hey Katniss!" I froze and turned around slowly. In front of me stood Peeta.

"H- Hi Peeta" I stammered. He smiled and I automatically smiled as well. "How are you?" He asked. Hm, why did he want to know that? "I'm fine, thanks." I said, and returned to unlock my bike. "Okay, I'll see you at school!" And he walked away.

I sat on my bike and went to school as quick as I could. When I got there, Madge was already waiting for me. "Why are you so early?" I asked. "The question should be: Why are you so late?" She said. I looked at my watch. I was later than usual. "Oh, I'm sorry." I said. Madge smiled, forgiving me.

We walked to History, one of the classes we had together. We sat down in the back seats, as usual. Then a minute later Peeta walked in. There were a load of free seats, but he chose the one right in front of mine. He waved at me and smiled. "Hi again." "..Hi" I said. He just smiled and turned around. I blushed a bit and Madge looked at me, raising her eyebrows with a questioning look on her face.

I just shook my head and starting getting my books out of my bag.

The class was over pretty soon and Madge and I walked to the canteen. We sat down at one of the tables, and then she started.

"Who's he?" She asked. "Who?" I asked innocently. "Oh you know who I'm talking about." She said seriously. "Come on, tell me, I'll find out anyway." She nagged. I sighed. "Fine. His name is Peeta Mellark. He's my new neighbor and I think he's in nearly all of my classes. I talked to him yesterday and this morning." She looked at me unbelievably.

"Were you thinking that if you told me nothing I wouldn't find out or something? Why didn't you tell me straight away?" She asked. I shrugged and took a bite out off my apple. "So, do you like him?" I nearly choked. "What?" "You heard me. Do. You. Like. Him?" She asked slowly. "Madge, I met him yesterday, come on.." I said. "Okay, okay... Just know that I saw you blushing." I just looked at her and continued eating.

After our break I had Maths. I sat down in my usual seat and Peeta sat down in his a minute later. "Hello Katniss." He said. "Can I borrow a pen?" He asked. "Sure." I said. "Thanks." He smiled at me. "So do you like the school so far?" I asked. "Yeah it's really cool, and the people here are very nice as well." He said. "Good. If you want I could show you around later." "That would be really great, thanks!" He said and turned around.

I felt proud of myself. I had actually had a small conversation with someone who wasn't called Gale or Madge. And the person didn't die of boredom. That was a good sign.

An hour later the bell rang and I stood up. Peeta turned around to me. "So, when can you show me around?" he asked. I hadn't really thought of that. "Um, I can show you around now if you want, I have a free period." I said. "Okay, I do too. Let's go." He gestured for me to walk in front of him. "Ladies first." He grinned. We walked through the whole school, while I showed him where all the classrooms and other important stuff were. After that we walked outside.

"Do you want to sit down for a while?" He asked, gesturing towards a place on the grass. "Sure" I said, and we sat down. "So do you have any brothers or sisters?" He asked. "Only a little sister, Prim. She's 12." "Oh how sweet." He smiled. Every time he smiled I felt something warm in my stomach.

"I've met your brothers, Rye and Leo. They seem very nice." I say. "Oh, they're the best brothers anybody could wish for." He grinned and I smiled at his sweetness. "My father and brothers taught me everything I know, like painting and baking." "Painting and baking?" He paints and bakes? Well. I didn't expect that.. "Yeah. My Dad had a bakery. I used to help all the time." He says.

"Oh...," I say, "where did you live before you moved here anyway?" "District 4. We all liked it there but my mother wanted to move. She said she couldn't take the sea and the 'always-salty-air' anymore." "That's a shame.." I say. The bell rings and I have to go to my next class. "Thanks for showing me around Katniss. It was really nice talking to you," He said, "See you!" He smiled and walked to his next class.

I slowly got up and went to my next class. He was so sweet and innocent. I don't think he could even hurt a fly. With Peeta on my mind I was nearly too late for the next class. I sat down in my usual seat. No Peeta or Madge in this class. I sighed. Maybe I did like Peeta.

No, I didn't. I couldn't. I wouldn't. Did I?

I was pretty confused. After a while I just stopped thinking and tried to listen to the teacher. To be honest I didn't even know at which lesson I was at the moment.

When I came home later that day, Prim was already inside on the sofa. "Hi little duck." I say and smile at her. She smiles back and turns off the small, old TV. "How was your day?" She asks. "It was.. OK actually." I smile, remembering my conversation with Peeta. "Oh, by the way, have you met Peeta yet? He's one of our new neighbors." Prim says. "Oh, yeah, I've met him." I reply. "He seems really nice doesn't he?" "Yeah, I suppose he does." I smile and tuck in Prim's shirt. "Come on little duck, go on and finish your homework" I say.

She hops over to her bags and grabs her books. I go upstairs to put my bag away when I see Peeta sitting at a desk. I sigh and as I do that, he looks up. He waves at me and gives me a big smile. I smile and wave back. We stare for a moment. He then turns to the desk again. I forget what I was doing and want to turn around.

Prim's standing in the doorway. "How long have you been standing there?" I ask. She grins and says "Long enough to see you and Peeta stare at each other." I blush and walk down the stairs, and she follows me. "Do you like him, Katniss?" She asks. "No, will people stop asking that, he's just a friend!" I say. "Okay" Prim says. She walks around, whistling innocently.

She then begins to sing. "_Katniss and Peeta, sitting in a tree, K-I-_" "PRIM!" I say.

**Author's Note: Just want to say thanks again to everybody reading. 4 reviews already, the story's only been up one and a half hours! Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. Chapter 3 will probably be up by Saturday night, maybe even before that, depends on how busy I am tomorrow :) Oh and sorry for the typo's and wrong grammar! x**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: You guys are amazing, 9 reviews already! The story's only been up like, a day or something, so thanks everyone :) Here's the next chapter, a day earlier than I was expecting, thanks to all the lovely reviews (_ Yaaay! _). Anyway, enjoy chapter 3!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

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_Chapter 3_

**Katniss' POV**

The whole week Peeta and I had had little conversations. We talked about everything, family, school, friends, the bakery. I had found out a lot of thing about him. Like, his favorite color was sunset orange. He always double-knotted his shoelaces. And he always slept with his bedroom window open.

Not that I looked at his window a lot..

I went to Biology and waved Peeta over. He smiled and walked over to me. This was one of the other many classes we had together. He sat down next to me, but before he could say anything, the teacher started talking.

"Attention, please. As you know, you have to hand in a project in 3 weeks. By next Tuesday you all have to tell me who you will be working with." She said.

I looked to my right to see Peeta looking at me expectantly. "So.. who are you working with?" He asked. I shrugged, "Don't know yet, you?" He shrugged as well. "I don't know yet either. Hey, do you wanna be my partner?" He asked smiling. "Sure" I nodded.

We began talking about the project and what we were going to make. It was going to be a big project, so we were going to have to start making it soon. "Do you wanna come over to my house tomorrow? Then we can begin the project." He asked. I could feel my cheeks go red. _Katniss, stop blushing, _I thought to myself. I think he saw me blushing, because he started grinning. "Okay" I finally said. We both smiled.

When I had my break I told Madge that I was working on the project with Peeta. She raised her eyebrows and I just looked away. She still didn't believe I didn't like Peeta. Then again, I was starting to doubt it myself as well.

I later got home and looked in the postbox. There was a letter from district 4. It was Gale. With everything that happened this last week I had actually forgotten to post him a letter. I'd have to apologize later. I opened the envelope and read the letter inside it.

_Dear Catnip,_

_How are you doing? Everything is fine here in District 4. It's a lovely place. We live in a house right next to the sea. And it's warm all the time. I've had to buy more shorts and t-shirt!  
How is everything in District 12? Is everybody doing okay? I do still miss everyone. I wish I could just go back and go to the woods with you. There are barely any woods here in District 4. I'm going to have to find a new hobby..  
Until then, I'll keep myself busy by writing letters to you, hehe.  
Anyway, say hi to Prim and everyone for me. I really miss you._

_Love, _

_Gale_

I read the letter and felt sad. Gale liked District 4 with it's sea and warmth. Soon he would forget all about District 12. He would forget all about me.

No, surely he wouldn't. Prim walked in and saw my face. "What's wrong?" "Nothing," I said, "Gale says hi." "Oh, say hi to him for me!" She said. I nodded and Prim walked away.

I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and started writing.

_To Gale,_

_I'm doing fine. I'm sorry my letter is so late. It's great to hear you like District 4. It must be amazing there.  
Everybody here is doing fine. You haven't missed out on anything, not a lot has happened since you left. I miss you to. I feel really lonely when I go to the woods on my own. But I suppose I'll have to get used to it. _

_Say hi to your mum, Rory, Vick and Posy for me. _

_- Katniss_

I put it in an envelope and sealed it. I would post it later. I decided I wouldn't tell him about Peeta yet. Maybe in a week or so.

I grabbed a drink and went upstairs. I closed my bedroom door and sat at my desk. Peeta wasn't in his bedroom. Shame.

I realized that since Peeta had moved here I went up to my bedroom a lot more often. Prim apparently noticed to, cause when I came back down after a few minutes she asked me what I was doing in my bedroom. "Sorry, didn't know I wasn't allowed to go to my bedroom anymore." I said sarcastically. Prim just shook her head and did her homework again.

I grabbed my drink and went to sit on the bench that stood in front of our house. It was a small, old bench, but I liked sitting there sometimes. I sat down and looked around. I saw Mr. Mellark outside, mowing his lawn. He smiled at me as I walked over to him. "Hiya Katniss. How are you?" "I'm fine thanks. How about you?" I said. "Great, great. Just mowing the lawn. My sons will never do it for me." He said jokingly. He pretended to look sad but quickly smiled again.

I liked Mr. Mellark. He was really friendly. I saw him waving to someone behind me and looked around. Prim was skipping towards us. "Hi Mr. Mellark!" She said. "Hi Prim." "Could you thank Peeta for the cookies he gave me?" Prim asked. Had Peeta given her cookies? "Sure Prim, did you like them?" "Oh yes, they were delicious! Peeta's a really good baker!" She said happily. "I'll tell him that, I'm sure he will be really glad to hear it." Mr. Mellark said and smiled. "I'll see you later girls!" He said and walked away.

Prim and I walked back in to the house. "I know what you're thinking," Prim said, "You're wondering why Peeta gave me cookies aren't you?" How did she know? Was I that easy to read? "Well Peeta and I were talking and we just clicked. He's very nice you know." She said. Oh I knew. "So anyway this afternoon he brought me cookies, because I told him I had never tried chocolate chip before. They were delicious!" She said, her eyes looking dreamy.

**Mr. Mellarks POV**

Peeta had been talking about her since the first day of school. "She's amazing" He had said. And every time he talked about her, his eyes got even brighter than they already were, and his smile wouldn't stop growing. He hadn't admitted that he liked her yet, but the time would come. I just hoped Katniss liked him as much as he liked her. His heart would be irreparable if she didn't.

Prim was a lovely little girl as well. She had big blue eyes, a bit like Peeta's. But in Prim's eyes you could see something had happened to her. Something she'd never forget. I felt sorry for the girls. I hadn't even met her mother yet, although we had already lived here for over a week.

I hadn't ever seen her father. I had heard from somebody that he hadn't been here for 2 years, or something like that. Who knows what happened to him. I could only pray Katniss' and Prim's mother loved them enough so that they didn't think about their father to much. That just wouldn't be fair.

**Katniss' POV**

I went back upstairs and went to my bedroom. This time Peeta was in there. He was probably drawing again. After a few minutes he saw me. He smiled and opened his window. I opened mine as well. "Hi" He said loudly. The houses weren't that far apart, so it wasn't that hard to hear him."Hi" I said, smiling. "I heard what Prim said about me. Can you thank her for me?" He asked. "Of course."There was then an awkward silence. "Um, I'll go tell her now. See you tomorrow!" I said. He grinned and closed his window. I closed mine as well.

I went downstairs and walked over to Prim. "Peeta says thanks." I said. Prim raised her eyebrows. "You just came from your bedroom. How did you.." Prim must not know my window is across from his. "Katniss, will you just admit you like him? I won't judge you, really, I think you-" "Prim, I- I don't like him." She grinned. "Yeah, not yet."

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**Author's Note: What did you think about Mr. Mellarks POV? I wasn't planning on doing it, but I suddenly thought it would be cool to try. Hope you liked the chapter, and don't forget to review! Next chapter will be up by Sunday night, maybe even before that. Again, thank you to everybody who added this story to story alert of even favorite. And an even bigger thank you to all the people that added me to their favorite author or author alert! If only written three chapters and you already favorited me.. You're all amazing :) x**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Wow, 13 reviews! The story's only been up since Thursday, you're all amazing!**

**Here's the next chapter, again, it's earlier than I expected. I just felt like I had to write you guys another chapter when I read the reviews, you deserved it :) So, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 4_

**Katniss' POV**

I woke up to see the sun shining brightly through the curtains. Today was going to be a very sunny, warm day. I put on some shorts and a plain black t-shirt. I walked downstairs to see Prim already having breakfast.

"Good morning Prim. I love your dress." She was wearing a white dress with big roses on it. Primroses. She had picked it out herself when we went shopping last year.

"Thank you!" She said. She smiled and gave me a twirl. I clapped and smiled. Prim was so adorable sometimes. She was already 12 but to me she was still my baby sister.

I quickly had breakfast and went to school. "Morning" Madge said happily. "Good morning. Why are you so happy?" I asked. "Oh, well, it's just that the weather is lovely and the sun is shining. And a lot of the boys look fabulous today." She looked around, gesturing towards boys with tight t-shirts and shorts.

I shook my head, smiling. Madge could be so boy-obsessed sometimes.

We walked to our classes and had our breaks together. The day went pretty quick. I walked to my locker to see Peeta there waiting for me. He was wearing a tight, white t-shirt and shorts. He smiled when he saw me coming over.

"Hi Katniss. You look lovely in those shorts." He winked. I blushed a deep _(very, very deep)_ red and after a few seconds of stammering finally succeeded in saying 'thanks'. I grabbed my books and closed my locker. "Ready to go?" He asked. I had been ready all day. "Yeah, I'm ready." "Cool."

We walked outside together. I was walking towards the bike shed when he asked me where I was going. Oh yeah, Peeta probably went with the car. "You go to school with the bike every day?" he asked. Great, he probably thought I was some poor girl who couldn't afford a car. Which was true.

"Um, yeah, I do." "Why didn't you say so, I could ride you to school every day!" He said. I smiled. "That would be nice." I said. We then walked to his car. It was a big blue one that matched the color of his eyes. He held the car door open for me while gesturing to the seat. I sat down and he closed the door behind me.

While he was walking round to his side of the car, I saw Madge staring at me, her mouth open. She saw I was looking at her and made a heart with her fingers. I mocked her, making a heart with my hands and shaking my head slightly, my eyes narrowed.

I suddenly heard somebody chuckling. I looked to the side to see Peeta had already gotten in the car and had seen everything. I blushed and looked away, glaring at Madge. She saw what had happened and was doubled over, laughing.

The car trip went very quick. It only took a couple of minutes, while if I was on the bike it would take about 20. He parked the car and opened my door for me again. I stepped out and followed him to his door. He knocked and Mr. Mellark opened the door. "Hiya Peeta. Oh, hi Katniss!" He smiled, looking happy to see me. "Come in, come in!" He said. I followed Peeta into the house and felt my jaw drop.

The house was _beautiful_. Like, really, _really _beautiful. Peeta saw my face and chuckled. "You like it?" He asked. "It's amazing.." I replied. The walls were blue, while most of the furniture was white or black. The floor was a dark wood. It looked very fancy. "Shall we?" He asked, gesturing towards the sofa. I nodded and we sat down.

"So, would you like something to eat or drink?" He asked, smiling. He really never stopped smiling. "No, I'm fine thanks." "Oh come on, I baked muffins especially for you!" He said, putting on a fake pout. I felt flattered. He made muffins for me. Aw. "Alright, I suppose I'll try one of your muffins." I said. "Yay, I'll be back in a minute." He smiled and got up to go to the kitchen.

I looked around. There was a picture on the wall of three little boys. I supposed the smallest must be Peeta. He was small, probably only about 6 years old. He was smiling, and his eyes were just as beautiful as they were now.

He came back in, holding a big plate of cookies. He put it on the table and gave me one. "Here." I took it and put it in my mouth. It was like little chocolate angels were dancing on my tongue. "Wow, Peeta, this is delicious!" I said. He smiled. "Thanks." "How did you know chocolate was my favorite?" I asked. "Oh, I have my own little resources" He said grinning.

Of course, Prim probably told him.

Had he been talking about me with Prim? The thought made me blush, involuntarily. He saw and smiled. He had seen me blush a few times already today.

"You're an amazing baker Peeta. They are seriously delicious." I said. This time it was him turn to blush. I grinned, he looked so cute when he blushed. "Thanks" He said again, quietly.

We ate cookies for a another minute. Well, I ate cookies and he watched, happy that I liked them that much.

I then realized I had eaten all the cookies. I blushed _again_, and Peeta laughed at me. "Oops." I said. He laughed again and shook his head. "What's so funny?" I asked. "I've never seen anybody eat a plate of cookies so fast." He said grinning. I playfully slapped him with a small cushion that was on the sofa. He raised his eyebrows and grabbed a bigger cushion. He hit my head with it.

"Oh, it's on, Mellark." I said. We had a big cushion fight, laughing like idiots the whole time. He then was going to hit me with it again, but I grabbed his arm to stop him. He tried to wriggle it out, by pulling and pushing it. He then pushed so hard that I fell backwards on the sofa. But I still had his arm, so he fell on top of me.

We both blushed. I stared into his blue eyes. "I- I'm sorry.." He said, sitting up again. My cheeks were on fire.

We both said nothing and sat there awkwardly. "Um, shall we start our project?" He said after a while. Oh yeah, that was why I was here. I nodded and he went to grab his notebook.

The rest of the time we just worked silently. Luckily, it started getting less awkward again after a while. We worked pretty hard, and after a while I looked to the window to see it had already gotten dark outside. "Shoot, I have to go home, Prim will be wondering where I am." I said. Peeta looked up at me. I think he looked sad, but quickly transformed it into a smile.

"Okay." He said and walked me to the door. "I'll walk you home." He said, and I laughed. "I'll be fine Peeta, it's like, a 15 second walk or something." "Ah, doesn't matter." He said and put on his shoes. He walked me home in silence and we stopped on my porch.

"It was fun working on the project with you today, Katniss'." He said softly. It was really dark outside, and you could already see the moon. The moonlight made his eyes look even brighter than they usually were. "Yeah, I really enjoyed it too." His hand reached for my hair. He put a loose strand behind my ear. I was speechless. He smiled. His thumb then softly brushed my cheek.

"You're blushing." He said, grinning. "Well, you are too." I shot back at him. "I'm afraid that's the effect you have on me, Katniss." My cheeks were burning again. "Same." I said, softly. We stood there silently for a moment, his thumb still resting on my cheek.

Suddenly, he leaned towards me. He gave me a small, short kiss on the lips. "Goodnight, Katniss." He said and walked away. I stood there, frozen, for another few minutes.

"Are you gonna come in or what, lovebird?" I turned around to see Prim look at me, standing in the doorway. She was grinning. She must have seen us. She walked away, with a big smile on her face. I was still blushing deeply. I walked in the house and went straight to bed.

What a day.

**Rye's POV**

I was sitting on the couch watching another episode of _Panem's Next Top Model_. I only watched it because the models were pretty. Peeta came in, with the biggest smile on his face I've ever seen. "You kissed her, didn't you?" I asked. He just nodded. He was still blushing. "Where's Dad? I have to tell him the news!" He said. "I don't know, I think he's in the kitchen or something." "Thanks." He said.

He was about to walk out when I stopped him. "Peeta.." He turned around. "Yes?" "You really love her, don't you?" It wasn't really a question, I already knew the answer. He looked down. If he wasn't already blushing, he would've been now.

"She's so wonderful, Rye. Her smile, her eyes, her beautiful hair. She's smart, funny, and sweet. I-" He stopped. But I knew what he was going to say. "Go on, go and tell Dad. He'll be glad to hear you finally made a move. You've been talking about her long enough." I said. He stuck out his tongue, smiling, and walked to the kitchen.

I could quickly hear him tell Dad the news.

I was happy for my little brother. He wasn't very happy when we moved. But Katniss had made him the happiest boy in the whole of Panem. If, I thought, this worked out and they got married in a couple of years, I knew he would make her happy. He would be the perfect husband. Hell, probably even the perfect father if he ever got kids.

But whatever he did, I'd be proud of him. Although I'd never tell him that.

**Author's Note: So, like the chapter? I'm so proud of Peeta! He finally kissed her! **

**By the way, I don't know if you noticed, but today I found out I made a big mistake in chapter 1. It says Gale moves to District 2, while he actually moves to District 4. So I'm sorry about that.**

**But anyway, don't forget to review, and the next chapter will probably be up tomorrow evening! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! Just found out we got 19 reviews, woohoo! :D You're all just too sweet. Here's chapter 5, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 5_

**Katniss' POV**

When I woke up in the morning, I was shocked. I hadn't had a nightmare. I had a nightmare almost every night. Only if I was exhausted I sometimes didn't. But I wasn't that tired last night. I had had a different dream. I dreamed of Peeta. We were sitting at a beach, holding hands. And that was it really.

I woke up, had a shower and put on the same pair of shorts as yesterday and a white t-shirt. I walked downstairs, and grabbed some bread. When I was nearly done and ready to go, I heard a car honking outside. Apparently Peeta wasn't joking when he said he'd bring me to school everyday.

I quickly grabbed my bag and walked outside. Peeta was sitting in the car with shades on. I waved to him and walked over.

"Good morning." He said happily when I opened the door. "Morning. You don't have to bring me to school you know, I'm fine with the bike." I said. "Oh I couldn't let you do that. That would be so unfair." "Okay then. Thank you anyway." "Your more than welcome." He said grinning.

We were at school in no time. He parked the car and opened my door for me again, like a real gentlemen. "Thank you." I said and stepped out of the car. He started walking towards school. "Oh, Peeta, I usually wait for my friend Madge. So I'll see you later." I said. He turned around. "Oh.. Do.. Do you mind if I wait with you? I'd like to meet Madge."

I thought about this for a moment. How great would it be if they became friends? "Sure." I said, and we waited for 10 minutes. She then finally came and walked over to us. When she saw Peeta waiting with me she just smirked. I sighed. "Hi Katniss. Who's your friend?" She asked. Like she didn't know.

"Madge, this is Peeta, Peeta, this is Madge." "Oh, hi Peeta, Katniss has told me _all_ about you." She said and then chuckled. Peeta and I both just started blushing while Peeta said hi to Madge. I glared at her and she started laughing really hard. We started walking to class. Peeta and Madge were happily talking about some unimportant stuff.

All three of us had History now. So we could walk together all the way. When we got to the classroom we sat down, Madge next to me and Peeta in front of me. The class soon started and Peeta stopped talking to us to listen to the teacher.

Madge grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and started writing. She then handed the piece of paper to me. I read it and sighed.

_He totally likes you!  
_

_No he doesn't! _I wrote underneath it and then gave it back. Madge looked at him and started writing again.

_Haven't you seen the way he looks at you? Or how he blushed when I said you told me all about him? Katniss, he likes you! It's a wonder he hasn't made a move yet!_

Oh yeah, she didn't know about last night.

_Madge, about that last bit.. _ I wrote and gave it back to her. Her eyes widened and she just looked at me in shock. "What?" She whispered, quite loud.

The teacher turned around and saw the piece of paper she had in her hands. She walked over and grabbed it. "Miss Undersea, what is the meaning of this?" She said, holding the piece of paper in her hand. Madge was still looking at me. She then looked at the teacher and sighed. "Nothing Mr. Davis."

He examined the note and looked at me. "You two, stay after class is over." He said and walked away, throwing the piece of paper in the trash.

After class he told us he'd just give us a warning this time, but to not do it in his class ever again. We thanked him for that, none of us wanted detention or extra work.

When we had our break, Peeta asked if he could sit with us at lunch. I looked at Madge. She shrugged. "Sure, if you want." We sat down at our table. "So anyway, what was that about?" Peeta asked. We knew he was talking about the piece of paper.

"Oh nothing, Mr. David just caught us exchanging a piece of paper." Madge said. "Oh, what did it say?" He asked innocently. I started blushing. Madge just grinned and started opening her mouth to say something. "Nothing," I said before Madge could say anything, "just some.. stuff." Madge snorted and I glared at her.

"Oh.. Okay." Peeta said. We ate our lunch and talked a bit. He then said that him and I now have a free period. Madge had her own class to go to. She just looked at me and said "Have fun." She then walked away, probably smiling to herself. I would so get her back for everything that happened today.

Peeta and I stood up and grabbed our bags. "Shall we sit outside? The weather is still lovely.." He said. I nodded and we sat down on a piece of grass behind school. Then there was an awkward silence. "So.." He said. I knew we were both thinking about that kiss. I was wondering if he now regretted it. I know I was glad he did it.

"Do you regret it?" I blurted out. Shoot, I didn't want to say it out loud. I blushed and looked away. "Regret what?" He asked confused. "You know.. what you did last night." I said softly. He was silent and I looked at him. He looked at me in shock. I looked down again. Suddenly his thumb held my head up and his face was inches from mine.

"Of course not Katniss. How could you even think such a thing." He said softly, nearly whispering. "I don't know, I just-" Suddenly I could feel his lips against mine. He kissed me very softly and tenderly. We kissed for what felt like hours, even if it was actually only a few seconds. He leaned back and blushed. I'm sure I looked like a frigging lobster by now.

"Katniss.." He started to say. "I like you. I really, _really _like you." He said. I felt my stomach jump and my knees weaken. If I had been standing I would have probably fallen over. I just stared at him. He then looked into my eyes.

"S-Same." I stammered. Peeta then smiled like he just heard he won the lottery. Then the bell rang. He helped me up and then walked me to my classroom. "Would you like to hang out or something later?" He asked blushing. "I'd love to." I said and smiled. He smiled as well and gave me a short kiss. "See you later, Katniss." He smiled and walked away. I turned away and saw Madge was already sitting in her seat and staring at me.

I walked to my seat, everybody was still talking and the teacher wasn't in the classroom yet. "OH MY GOD KATNISS, WHAT DID I JUST SEE?" Madge screamed. I looked around to see if anybody noticed. "Madge, relax, it was just a kiss." I tried to say like it meant nothing, but I could feel myself blushing.

She just stared at me, with her mouth open. "Just a kiss? Katniss, has he kissed you before?" She asked seriously. I blushed and looked down. "Maybe." I said. Madge just laughed and shook her head. "Katniss, how many times?" She asked. "Three." I said softly, barely louder than a whisper. I looked up to see Madge smiling widely. "Aaaaw! You two are so cute!" She said.

I blushed again and luckily the teacher came and everyone stopped talking. The class began and Madge started asking me about the kisses. When was the first kiss, what was it like, and all the details. I sighed and told her everything. In the end she was all giddy and happy. "You two are going to be the most adorable couple ever!" She squealed.

The class was soon over and we went to the next ones. At the end of the day the last bell finally rang. I walked to my locker to see Peeta there, waiting for me again. "Hi" I said. I was already blushing. _Why, cheeks, why?_ I thought to myself. He grinned and said "Hi. What do you want to do today?" I shrugged. "How about we just go to your house?" I suggested.

"Okay." he said happily and we walked to the car. As always, he held the car door open for me and I went in. I could see Madge standing at the same place as she was yesterday. She saw me and made a heart with her fingers again. Only this time I didn't mock her, I smiled. Peeta then got in the car and we drove to his house.

After a few minutes he knocked the door and Mr. Mellark opened it again. "Peeta, Katniss! How was school?" He asked and let us in, closing the door behind us. Peeta looked at me and blushed. "It was great." He said and smiled. Mr. Mellark stared at him and Peeta stared back. They were having some secret communication or something and I felt left out. After a while Mr. Mellark looked away and smiled. "Alright, I'll be upstairs if you need me." He said and walked away.

"So, do you want to watch a movie or something?" He asked. I nodded. I preferred movies to tv shows. I sat on the sofa and he went to get some cookies and a drink. He then came back and asked what movie I wanted to watch. I didn't mind, so I told him to choose. He grinned mischievously and put a movie on.

The movie started and it was a horror movie. He closed all the curtains and turned off the light to make it look really dark. If he thought he could scare me, he'd have to try harder than this.

It then started and he sat next to me. Our knees were touching. I blushed and thought to myself, _Katniss, stop blushing, right now. _But it didn't help. Anyway, half way through the movie, it was actually starting to get a bit scary. He had chosen a very good movie.

A murderer then suddenly popped up and I jumped and put my hands on Peeta's chest. Two minutes later I realized what I had done. I looked at Peeta's face to see him grinning. He had planned this all along. I laughed to myself and watched the movie again. After another 20 minutes or so, it got _really_ freaky, and even if I didn't like to admit it, it really was starting to scare me. The murderer then suddenly popped up on the screen. I think I screamed and put my arms around Peeta. He smiled and put his arms around me.

_Well, this is nice. _I thought. He looked down and grinned at me. "A bit scared, are we?" He said. I blushed. "No.." I then heard a loud bang and nearly jumped on top of Peeta. He laughed. "It's not funny!" I said. He stopped laughing and looked at me. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe from the big bad murderer." He said and winked at me, smirking. I hit his arm playfully and watched the movie again.

After another hour the movie was _finally_ over. The tv went blank and he stood up. "So what do you want to do now?" He asked. I thought about this, and then said I'd like to see his bedroom. He looked surprised but then walked up the stairs, me following him.

He opened the door and gestured for me to walk in front of him, smiling. I walked in and was shocked. His bedroom was filled with beautiful drawings and paintings. "You made these?" I asked, looking around. "Yeah." He said. I sat down on his bed and picked up an notebook. His eyes widened. "Katniss, I'll take that and put it-" He tried to grab it put I held it out of his reach.

"Why?" I asked. "I just, it's, um, private." He was blushing and still trying to grab it. I jumped of the bed and ran to the other side of the room. I opened the notebook and on the first page there was a beautiful picture of a flower. This wasn't the private part. It was mean, but I wanted to know what was so _private_.

The next few pages were also filled with beautiful drawings or little doodles. He was still trying to catch me, but I was quicker than him. I then turned the page and stopped. There was a drawing of me. Underneath it it said: _The beautiful Katniss Everdeen_. And then a big heart. He grabbed the book and blushed a very deep red. I was blushing too.

"That, um, was because I was, um, bored one day at class and you were sitting next to me, so-" I walked over to him and kissed him. I put my arms around his neck and he put his hands on my waist. We stood there like that, kissing, for about ten minutes. His brother, Leo the entered the room.

**Leo's POV**

I walked into Peeta's room to ask him if I could lend his black pants. I opened the door and saw him and Katniss kissing. They then stopped and turned around to me, both looking ashamed and blushing.

I laughed, Peeta glared at me and looked like he was going to kill me later. "Hi, I'm Leo, Peeta's older brother, and you must be Katniss." I said. Katniss was still blushing and nodded. "Peeta doesn't stop talking about you you know, he-" Peeta hit the back of my head. "Hey, what was that for, little bro?" I asked, still smiling at the whole situation.

"Just shut up." He said and looked at Katniss. She was blushing dark red now. "I, um, think I should go, Prim will be waiting for me and stuff.." She mumbled and walked out. "See you tomorrow, Peeta. Nice to meet you Leo." She winked and smiled at Peeta and then went downstairs.

"She seems nice, Peety. Maybe next time you make out you should lock the door." I said. Peeta was looking really angry. "Your dead." He said and ran after me while I was laughing like a lunatic.

**Author's Note: That last scene was so awkward! Poor Peeta and Katniss! At least Leo thought it was funny.. Anyway, I was wondering, how did you all find my story? I'm really curious! Hope you liked the chapter it was a bit longer than usual. Next chapter will be up by Tuesday evening, or maybe even tomorrow :) x**


	6. Chapter 6

**Authors's Note: Hi again! I know I say this every time, but thanks to everyone who added my story or reviewed! It really means a lot to me :) So here's chapter 6, it will probably just be another chapter full of lovey-dovey Peeta and Katniss. Or maybe not.. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 6_

**Katniss' POV**

I woke up in the morning, still thinking about yesterday evening. I had never felt so good. Until Leo came in. He could of at least apologized normally, instead of laughing his head off. The situation might have been funny for him, but I think I blushed so hard my face was still red.

I got ready for school and just as I was opening the door, I heard a car honking. I said goodbye to Prim and hopped into Peeta's car. "Hi Katniss. I'm sorry about Leo,what he did yesterday was really unacceptable and-" "It's okay, don't worry about it. It can happen. Only... maybe next time it happens, we should lock the door or something." I said

Peeta looked at me and started laughing really hard. I blushed, thinking he was laughing at me. He saw my blush and stopped laughing straight away. "Oh, no, Katniss, I'm not laughing at you, it's just that Leo said the exact same thing yesterday." He said and smiled. Oh.

We suddenly stopped and I realized we were already at school. I was still not used to the fact that I went with the car now and everything was quicker. He opened my door for me and I stepped out. Peeta grabbed my hand and I blushed as we walked towards Madge, who was early for some reason.

"Hiya guys! Did you have fun yesterday?" She asked, smirking at me. "Yeah, we had a great time." I said and looked at Peeta, smiling. "Oh yeah? What did you do?" Madge asked innocently. I looked at Peeta for help.

"Oh, well we watched a good movie, had some popcorn, looked at one of my drawings and then.." He said and stopped there. "And then what?" asked Madge. Apparently we both started blushing, 'cause she just started laughing really hard saying: "You guys are only together for like, two days now and already your sucking the faces off of each other!"

I glared at her and Peeta chuckled shyly. I was never gonna get enough of the sight of Peeta blushing. His cheeks went a light red which looked amazing next to his blue eyes.

We walked to school and went to our classes. We had a short day, because there was going to be a bank holiday for a week after 12 'o clock today. So we all only had 4 classes, and then no school for a week! Everyone was ecstatic.

When the final bell rang, everyone nearly ran out of the classroom. I laughed as Peeta walked me to my locker. I grabbed my books and closed it. The halls were already empty, everyone was going home as soon as possible. Suddenly Peeta put both of his hands on my locker, beside my head. I couldn't move.

Not that I wanted to anyway.

He leaned closer, until his lips were an inch from mine.

"Wanna hang out later?" He asked smiling. I could feel his breath against my lips. I nodded. "Great." He said and gave me a short kiss. He then leaned back and starting walking to his car. We walked there hand in hand.

Madge had already gone, as she was going to District 2 on a holiday with her father for a few days. She had been telling me about how nice it was there and how nice the boys were for weeks now.

"So what are we going to do, anyway?" I asked as Peeta started the car. He shrugged. "How about we go to your house?" He then suggested. I hesitated. I didn't really want him to see my house. He'd know how poor we really are. He saw my hesitation.

"Katniss, if you don't want to, I don't mind, we can always go to town or something.." He said, looking concerned. "No, it's fine." I said.

After a few minutes he parked and I opened our front door. I walked in calling Prim. "I'm home Prim, and Peeta's with me!" I shouted. She came running around the corner, smiling at us. "Hi Peeta, Katniss." She just stood there smirking at us. "Prim, I get it, you were right." I said. She smiled happily, glad I finally said it and walked away.

"What was she right about?" Peeta asked as I gestured for him to sit down on the sofa or a chair. I blushed. "Oh you know, nothing big, just some little thing she was talking about." I said.

"I was right about that she'd fall in love with you!" Prim screamed from the kitchen. I closed the door and sat down next to Peeta, feeling myself blushing a deeper and deeper red. I looked at Peeta. He had a gigantic smile, like the one when he kissed me for the second time behind school.

"Um, anyway.." I said. He smiled at me and then looked shocked towards the wall. I looked behind me and saw my bow and arrow sitting on the floor against the wall. "Is that yours?" He asked, his eyes big. "Um, yeah, I hunt. I've hunted for as long as I can remember." He looked at me, eyes still big. "Wow. That's so cool." He said, grinning. "I can teach you some time, if you like." I offered.

His eyes lit up. "I'd like that." He said. He then brushed my cheek with his thumb. "Did you know you're really beautiful?" He suddenly said matter-of-factly. I blushed and looked down. Nobody had told me I was beautiful before, except for my dad. "No I'm not." I said.

He then gasped. I looked up and his eyes were shocked. "How can you say that Katniss, you're seriously the most beautiful person I've ever seen!" He said. Now I was blushing even deeper. "Thanks." I said, realizing I was never going to be able to win this competition. He then leaned over to me, his thumb still stroking my cheek.

His lips just brushed mine as Prim opened the door. Peeta jumped back and Prim snickered. "Katniss, I'm sorry for interrupting your.. _intimacy,_" she was jus tabout able to hold in her laugh, "but there's a letter here for you. Also, the postman said he was sorry, but the letter got lost and so it's a few days late." She handed me the envelope and walked away. She winked at me and then closed the door again.

"Who's it from?" asked Peeta. I looked at the handwriting. This was from Gale. "It.. It's from Gale." I said. Peeta looked at me confused. Of course, he didn't know who Gale was. "Gale was my best friend. He lived in your house before we moved." I explained. "Oh, okay." He said.

I opened the envelope.

_Dear Katniss,_

_How are you? Everything's fine here in District 4. _

_Anyway, I just heard that the whole of Panem had a bank holiday, starting next Friday at 12. I asked my mum if I could buy a train ticket and come over for a few days, and she said yes! So I'll be standing in front of your house at about 3 'o clock on Friday! Can't wait to see you, Catnip!_

_Lots of love,_

_Gale. _

I looked at the clock. It was now 14:45. That meant Gale would be here in 15 minutes. Okay, I still had time to clean everything up and tell Peeta that I'd explain later but that he had to leave. Gale didn't know about him, and knowing Gale, he'd get really angry and jealous.

Suddenly, the door bell rang. "Shit!" I said and ran up to look out of the window. Gale was standing outside with a big backpack. Prim opened the door and let him in. "Gale! It's so good to see you!" Prim exclaimed. "Hi Prim!" He said, lifting her of the ground. They then walked in the living room. I was standing there, probably looking really stressed, and Peeta was still sitting on the sofa, trying to understand it all.

"Catnip!" Gale put his arms around me and twirled me up in to the air. He then even gave me a kiss on the lips. How dare he? I was with Peeta.. kinda.. I felt myself getting angry. "I've missed you so much! How have you been?" He asked, not even seeing Peeta sitting in the corner. He then turned around and saw him.

"Who's that?" He asked, his voice suddenly very serious. "Um, that's Peeta Mellark, our new neighbor." I said. "Gale turned around to me. "But why is he in your house?" He asked. "Well, because he is now a very, _very_ good friend of mine." I said softly. Gale suddenly looked outrageous. "I've been gone for what, only about three weeks now, and you've already replaced me with some blonde guy you've only met a few weeks ago?" He nearly screamed.

"Katniss, I thought we had something!" Gale suddenly said. "What?-" I shouted. Peeta stood up and looked at me with say eyes. He then passed me and walked out of the door without saying goodbye.

"Wait, Peeta, I can explain!" I said. But he was already gone.

**Gale's POV**

How dare she. We had something. I loved her. And when I'm gone, she quickly replaces me? I was so angry right now. I thought we somehow had a sort of long-distant relationship.

Peeta walked out and glared at me. "Wait, Peeta, I can explain!" Katniss shouted. Were there tears in her eyes?

He slammed the door shut and Katniss looked at me. "Gale, how can you even-" "What, didn't you even bother to read my letter? Did you think that if you stopped writing I'd disappear out of your life so you could be happy with blonde boy?" I spat.

I turned around and picked up my backpack. "I'll stay at Greasy Sae's or something. Leave you alone. It's what you want." I say, and open the front door. "Gale, I-" she tried. "No, Katniss. I trusted you. I trusted you to not jump at every boy you met after I left." She looked really hurt.

I slammed the door behind me and walked across the street. I could see an old man glaring at me from the house next to Katniss'. But I wasn't in the mood for anyone or anything, so I just kept walking, passing Greasy Sae's house, forgetting everything, trying to get my mind of off Katniss and the way she looked at blonde boy.

**Author's Note: Sorry if you think I'm being too harsh on Gale/Katniss/Peeta but I just really wanted to write this scene. It's been in my head from the beginning. Anyway, hope you liked it, next chapter will probably be up tomorrow evening. And don't forget to review! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hiya! How's everyone? I'm sorry that the whole last chapter was in bold, I didn't even realize, cause it seemed fine when I uploaded the story.. thanks for telling me! :) Anyway, here's chapter 7, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 7_

**Katniss' POV**

I had nightmares of what happened the whole night. I'd see Peeta and Gale both leave, and I'd know they would never come back to me. When I woke up I got ready as quick as possible and then went to Peeta's house. I knocked on the door, and Mr. Mellark opened the door.

"Hi Mr. Mellark. Could I speak to Peeta for a moment?" I asked. He looked at me sadly. I'm sorry Katniss, but Peeta said he doesn't want to talk to anyone. He's been in his room since yesterday evening, and.." He stopped, looking worried. ".. he said he specifically didn't want to talk to you." Mr. Mellark stopped talking and but his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry Katniss, it'll be alright. Just give him some time." He said.

I nodded and thanked him. He then closed the door and I went to sit on our porch. I should also talk to Gale. Even if I was still angry. He would only be here for another few days. After that I wouldn't see him again for a few months.

I stood up and went to grab by bow and arrows. I walked outside. I remembered him saying something about going to Greasy Sae's. So I walked to her house.

When I was there, 10 minutes later, I knocked on the door. A few moments later Greasy Sae opened the door. "Katniss, what a pleasant surprise. I'm afraid I don't have anything to trade at the moment.." She said, looking around the house. "I'm not here for trading.. I'm here because.. well I was just wondering, is Gale here?" I said

She looked at me in total confusion. "Katniss.. he left a few months ago.." she said, probably wondering if I had banged my head or something. If I wasn't stressing right now, I'd probably laugh at her answer.

"I know that, but he came over yesterday, and we sort of got into a fight.." I said. I didn't have to explain. I could tell Greasy Sae knew it was about me and Peeta. She knew everything.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I haven't seen him." She said. "Okay, thanks." I said and she closed the door. Where could he be?

The woods.

I ran towards the fence that was around District 12. They _say_ it's to protect us from wild animals.

I crept under it and went to our usual meeting place. There I saw him, lying on a big rock. I think he was asleep. "Gale?" I whispered slowly. His eyes shot open. That's what happens if you're a hunter. The slightest sound wakes you up completely.

He saw me and glared. "What do you want?" He asked. Typical Gale.

_I want to punch you, _I thought to myself. "I want to explain." I said. "Explain what? The fact that the second I'm gone you replace me?" He snarled. "Gale, listen, I didn't replace you. When you left all I had left was Madge. Then Peeta moved here and he seemed very nice. So we became good friends. I'm sorry if I forgot that I'm not allowed to have any except you and Madge." I said sarcastically.

He looked at me, his forehead still creased. "And anyway," I continued, "it's not like you didn't make any new friends or anything."

He then looked down, ashamed.

It suddenly hit me. Gale was jealous. I had made a new friend. Me, the socially awkward Katniss Everdeen had made a new friend, and the handsome, funny Gale hadn't.

He looked up at me, like he was reading my thoughts. "I don't need any friends." He said.

I suddenly felt really awful. Gale was just lonely. And when he came back, he suspected me to be too. But I was being all lovey-dovey with some boy he had never seen. "I'm.. sorry." I said. He looked up at me. He knew I didn't apologize quickly. "I'm sorry too," he said, "I was just being stupid."

I laughed and he grinned up at me. "So can I have a proper Welcome-Back-Gale!-Hug?" He said, his arms stretched. I grinned and gave him a hug.

I then sat down next to him."Gale, about what you said yesterday.. about us being together.." I slowly said. Gale looked at me. "I'm sorry Katniss. I was just so lonely, and I suppose when I was in four I only had you to hold on to. You were my only friend. And somewhere, somehow, my crazy mind gave me the idea that we were together." He said.

"And anyway, why did Peter get so mad? Are you two, like, together?" He asked. "It's Peeta." I said. "Whatever. Peeta, Peter, It's both the same."

I shook my head. There was then a silence. I nearly thought he had forgotten the question he asked. But then, "So? I'm still waiting." he said, suddenly serious. "I.. I don't really know." I said. He nodded slowly. "Katniss, just remember that I love you. And if he breaks your heart, I will break his back." He said with a low, serious voice.

I hoped he meant that he loved me as a sister. Not as a girlfriend. I had Peeta. Surely Gale would find someone in District 4, who would think he was handsome and charming, and would want to be his girlfriend. There were enough of them here anyway.

I then looked at Gale's face. There were bags under his eyes and he had the same clothes on as yesterday. "Gale, why didn't you go to Greasy Sae's yesterday?" I asked. I realized I sounded angry. "I don't know, I didn't want to talk to anyone at that moment." He said.

I sighed. Gale shouldn't of slept in the woods. It could be dangerous. Sometimes, about once a year, peacekeepers went through the woods at night. Usually they'd come back with a dead body of someone who went missing months ago. But if they found someone alive in there, they would send him or her to the capitol for punishment. Being in the woods was very illegal.

He saw the look on my face when he put his arms up. He hadn't showered yet. He laughed. "That's the smell of _masculinity_." He said. I laughed and gave him a push. He stood up and grabbed his backpack. "I get the message. I'll go over to Greasy Sae's and have a shower." "You can always stay at my house you know." I said. He then looked at me in disgust. "And be that close to Pete? No thanks." He said.

"You haven't even met him yet. He's actually very friendly." He said. Gale just looked at me and shook his head. "I'm fine." He said. We went under the fence and walked over to Greasy Sae's. I said goodbye and walked back home. I hadn't even gone hunting. Oh well, I still had another week to do that.

I now had to find a way to contact Peeta. Mr. Mellark wouldn't let me in the house, and we didn't have a phone. I suddenly thought of something.

I walked to my garage and grabbed the ladder. I carried it, well, dragged it, to Peeta's house. I then put it up against the wall. Was I seriously going to do this?

"Are you seriously going to do that?" I heard someone say behind me. What the.. I turned around and saw Peeta's brother, Rye, laughing at me. I glared at him and nodded. "You're mental." He said, and turned around, going into the house.

_Thanks for the compliment,_ I thought to myself.

I looked at the ladder. I stopped just under Peeta's window.

Okay, I could do this. I grabbed the ladder, making sure it was sturdy enough in the grass. I then stepped on the first step. I slowly climbed the whole ladder. When I was at the height of Peeta's window, I saw the curtains were closed. Great. But I could softly hear music coming from his room. That meant he was probably in there.

I looked at the lock. You could only open it from the inside. So I decided to just knock. I heard the music stop. I knocked again. I heard someone walk over to the window. I then saw the curtains open and Peeta's face look at me. He was shocked and nearly fell backwards at the sight of me at his window.

He stood there, looking at there for a couple of moment. I then pointed to my wrist, as if I was wearing a watch. He then opened the window. "What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?" He said. Why do all Mellarks think I'm crazy?

He started pacing his room. "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be with _Gale_?" He nearly spat the word. I actually nearly laughed. Gale and Peeta. Both grown up men, but so childish and jealous.

"Listen Peeta, I aren't.. _with_ Gale." I said. I could see some hope in his eyes. "But he said so himself. And I saw him kiss you." He said. "He was just lonely. He hasn't made any friends since he moved to four. I was his only friend. And he then just, kinda thought we were in a relationship." As I said it, I realized it sounded really stupid.

Peeta raised his eyebrows. "He _thought_ you were in a relationship? Because he was lonely?" He said mockingly. I had to admit, hearing someone say it like that, it sounded a bit stupid. "Yeah.. but we aren't in a relationship, okay? I don't love him. Not as a boyfriend. I do love him as a brother, but really, not more than that." I said.

Peeta's eyes suddenly sparkled. He then just stood there, staring at me. Wondering if he should believe me or not.

"So can I, I don't know, come in or something?" He grinned and helped me into his room. "So do you forgive me?" I asked, trying to look as innocent as I could. He sighed. "I suppose." He said. "Yay." I said and gave him a short kiss. "Listen Peeta, I'm really sorry. I hope you still trust me and everything."

He looked into my eyes. Boy, had I missed those eyes. I had seen them yesterday, but they were like my drug. I was addicted to him. "If you say I can trust, I believe you. I know you won't go running off with any boy you meet. Or.. Gale." He said, still looking angry when he said 'Gale'.

"But anyway, you better go Katniss." He said. I was shocked. He had never said that before. He never wanted me to go. He then saw my reaction. "No, no, Katniss! I don't _want_ you to go, but I'm grounded. And if my mom hears us, she'll get really angry.

I remembered seeing his mom that first day when they moved here. She didn't look like someone who you'd want to be in a fight with. "You're grounded?" I said. He looked down and started blushing. "Yeah, I was kinda mad when I came in yesterday. And I started screaming certain words and then I broke my mom's vase." He said.

I couldn't help it. I started laughing really hard. "You got a temper tantrum?" I said, still laughing really hard. He looked at me disapprovingly. "Yeah, I suppose I just got really angry when I saw you and Gale together." He said.

"I'd like to say your really cute when you get jealous, but apparently you're not." I joked. He just laughed and we both started laughing together. The situation was just to weird. Peeta was grounded, and I was sneaking in to him with a stepladder. Suddenly we heard someone coming up the stairs.

Peeta looked at me, scared. "Quick! Hide under my bed!" He whispered. I did as he said and hid under the bed. I then heard the door opening. "Peeta, who were you talking to?" The voice sounded mean and strict. Nearly angry. "Nobody, mother.." I heard Peeta say. He sounded very calm.

"She's here isn't she?" She said. Was she talking about me? I hadn't even met her yet! "Who are you talking about?" Peeta asked innocently. "You know who I'm talking about. That poor girl from next door. The one you've been fooling around with. You know I don't like her. I forbade you to take her here. And what do you do? She'll probably steal all our stuff!" She yelled.

Was that how she thought of me? I had never stolen anything before. And I can't help it were poor.

My thoughts were interrupted by Peeta yelling something. "She can't help it she's poor! And does is matter? What would the difference be if she was rich? Except for the fact that then you'd like her. Don't you get that it's about what's on the inside? I really don't understand you! Can't you see I'm happy with her? Just leave us alone! And don't ever, _ever_ talk like that about Katniss again!" He screamed and sounded really angry. He sounded so angry he could probably hit her.

My eyes started to water. Peeta would rather nearly kill his mother than not see me anymore. He knew he was grounded, and would now probably be grounded for life for saying those things to his mother, but he didn't care. She was saying horrible stuff about me and he wouldn't take it.

"How can you be happy with some slut, _that hides under beds_." She said and slammed the door.

**Author's Note: Ouch. At least Gale and Peeta aren't mad at her anymore. Don't know if this chapter was that good, I'm really tired and everything so yeah. Anyway, 30 reviews! I can't believe it! I love all of you so much! Every time I get a new review, I get all giddy and clap my hands and everything :D Next chapter will be up by Thursday or tomorrow :) And don't forget to review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Omg, 40 REVIEWS! Thank you all sooo much! You guys are the best! Anyway, here's chapter 8. Someone requested it to start at the moment in which Peeta's mum slams the door. So here it is, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 8_

**Katniss' POV**

She slammed the door and I started sobbing. I just couldn't help it. I usually didn't cry very quickly. But this just really startled me. Why did Peeta's mother hate me so much?

I could see Peeta lie on the floor next to the bed. He looked at me. "Are you coming out from under there?" He asked. His face was red and he still looked very angry. But he also had a concerned look in his eyes.

I crawled out and the second I stood up, he pulled me in for a hug. "Why doesn't she like me?" I asked softly. He looked at me sadly. "Hasn't your mother ever told you who she was originally going to marry?" He asked. I was suddenly very confused. What did his mother have to do with my mother's marriage?

He saw the confusion on my face and sighed. He pulled me over to sit next to him on his bed and put his arms around me. "When our parents were all still very young, just a few years older than us, your mother and my father were dating." He said. I was shocked. For some reason I had thought my mother had always loved my father and no one else.

"Well they were happy and everything, and my father asked you mother to marry him. They said yes and started planning a wedding. But a few weeks after, your mother met your father. She fell in love with him, and knew she couldn't stay with my father. She left him. Your parents got married short after, and my father then met my mother. He loved my mother, but also still loved your mother very much. After all, she was his first love."

"My parents got married, but my mother knows that she was sorta his second choice. So she hates your mother for being his first. I suppose that's why she doesn't like you either." He said, looking sad.

So I was being punished for something my mother did? Great. I felt a load of tears coming on, and Peeta held me even tighter, stroking my hair and kissing the top of my head so now and then.

"Of course, she shouldn't be angry at you. After all these years, she still hasn't accepted the fact that she was my father's second choice. She probably never will. And as long as she hates your family, I hate her. I hate her for hating you. She doesn't understand that you don't have anything to do with this. And your mother can't help it she fell in love with someone else. My mother's so ridiculous! You know, she never loved me! Rye and Leo were always her favorite. I was just another little child she had to feed. She probably wishes I had never been born." He said, tears in his eyes.

Peeta was suddenly really sad and angry at his mother. He started talking about all the bad things about her, for instance that she hates me, and that she never loved him.

Peeta had had to grow up without a mother to run to. She hated him and he knew it. I suddenly felt very sorry for him. It must be terrible to have your mother yell at you all the time and call you useless.

Peeta was still ranting about his mother, when suddenly I felt a teardrop on the top of my head. Peeta had stopped yelling and I looked up at him. There were little teardrops rolling down his cheeks. He looked at me like a little child. Like he was four years old. This time it was his turn to cry and my turn to comfort him.

I put my arms around him and kissed the teardrops away. After a minute he had stopped. "I'm.. I'm sorry about that." He said, obviously ashamed he had ranted and cried in front of me. "It's okay." I said and gave him a kiss. He suddenly looked a lot happier.

"It's just that, I've never really told anyone anything about my mother, ever since I was a little kid. I was ashamed of her. And when I started talking about her, it just all started tumbling out. I'm sorry I was yelling like that." He said.

I smiled reassuringly at him. "It's okay, really. We're both fine now, aren't we?" I said and gave him a tight hug. He sighed. "I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you, Katniss." He said, blushing and looking down.

I started blushing as well. "I.. I love you too." I whispered. I had only said that to about 3 people in my whole life before. Well, 4 people now.

I looked up at him and saw he was smiling like crazy again. We were still sitting on his bed. He pulled me towards him and kissed me. I lost my balance, and fell on top of him. I lay on top of him. He stopped kissing me, and I thought I had hurt him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" I asked, suddenly serious. He smiled. "No Katniss, I'm fine." He said and kissed me again. I put my hands on his chest. He was wearing a tight t-shirt and I could feel his six pack. I was shocked. I had never thought about boys' bodies before, but the thought of Peeta's six pack made me very happy.

We kissed for a few minutes, before I got up. He looked at me sad. "I'm sorry Peeta, but I have to go. I didn't even tell Prim where I was going or anything, she might be worried." I said. He sighed. "Okay then. I'll let you go for now." He said. "Even with everything that happened today, I had a lovely time." He chuckled. "Me too."

I got up and walked to the door, stopping just before I twisted the door knob. I better go with the ladder. I gave Peeta a quick kiss and started climbing on to his windowsill. He held my arm as I started climbing down the ladder. He then let go and I went down. I waved at him and dragged the ladder back to the garage.

When I got in the house, I saw Prim playing inside with a girl I had never seen before. "Katniss! This is Rue, she just moved here from District 11. She lives around the corner." Prim said. I smiled at the girl and shook her hand. "Hi Katniss. Nice to meet you." She said politely. "Hi Rue. Nice to meet you to. Why did you move here?" I asked. "My father got a new job here." She answered.

I nodded. That was the main reason nearly everybody moved here. "Alright girls, I'm going upstairs, I'll see you later." I said, smiling at them. They looked very happy, playing with two dolls. Rue seemed very nice. She seemed like someone you could trust, and who would never judge you.

I grabbed some water and went upstairs. I looked through my window to see Peeta wasn't in his room. That was odd. I thought he was grounded and wasn't allowed out?

Just as I thought that, he walked in the room, looking quite pleased with himself. I opened my window and when he saw me, he did too.

"Guess what?" He said. "What?" "My dad heard my mother scream at me and got really angry at her. He said that if she _ever_ tries to scream like that again at me or my brothers, he will leave her. And after tomorrow I'm not grounded anymore!" He said. He sounded happy his father might leave his mother. I suppose I would be too if I was him.

"Great!" I said and smiled. We talked about little things for a few moments and then closed the windows. It wasn't very nice having a conversation like that. You had to talk pretty loud and listen closely.

I went back down and started making dinner. "Are you staying for dinner, Rue?" I asked. Her eyes lit up. "Could I?' she said. "Of course." I said and she smiled widely. "Okay!" She said and the girls went to tell her mother she'd be eating at our house.

I made some potatoes and some fish. It was very hard to get good fish here. But I had good friends at the Hob who would give me some in exchange for some squirrels so now and then.

We all had dinner together and talked. Apparently Rue had 5 younger siblings. I couldn't imagine having 5 younger sister's and brother's to care for. But then I realized, Rue's parents were also looking after them. It wasn't like Prim, me, and our mother. She didn't care for us. I had practically raised Prim.

After dinner Rue left, thanking us for letting her stay as she gave us both a hug. Prim and I stayed up for a while, watching television. It was then about eight 'o clock. Suddenly somebody was knocking on the door.

I stood up, wondering who it was. It was quite late, and it was dangerous to be on the streets this late. I opened the door and saw Gale standing there with his backpack. He probably decided to stay at my house after all.

But then I realized he looked sad. "What's wrong?" I asked, suddenly worried. "The hospital in four just rang mayor Undersea to tell me to come home as soon as possible. My mother has fallen down a stairs and has maybe broken her back. I have to go to see if she's okay. I don't want to leave Rory, Vick and Posy alone with my mom's _fiancee_." His eyebrows knit together as he said the word.

"I hope you understand.. I'll be back in a few weeks though. It was lovely seeing you again Katniss." He said and gave me a hug. "It's okay Gale. I hope your mother's okay, give her my best wishes. And it was lovely seeing you too." He smiled and waved, walking towards the train station.

I had been hoping I could go to the woods with Gale tomorrow. Go hunting and talk. But I suppose I'd have to wait another few weeks.

I said goodnight to Prim and went upstairs. But before I closed my bedroom door, I could hear Prim yelling for me to come back. I went back down and asked her what was wrong. "Well, Rue's mother invited me to come to District 11 with them for a week. They have a caravan and wanted to go camping in the woods. We're leaving tomorrow and I would be back by Friday." She begged.

Rue seemed descent enough. So I supposed Prim would be safe. "Sure. But I want you to call me if there's anything wrong okay? Just call mayor Undersea, he can tell me to go and pick you up. Now go and sort your bag. Bring enough clothes and don't forget your toothbrush and things like that." I said, but before I was finished she was already in her room grabbing a bag. She came back downstairs nearly immediately, holding her travel bag. It was already packed.

"Rue helped me pack today." She said. I raised my eyebrows. "But I hadn't even told you you were allowed to go then yet." I said. She laughed and said "yeah, but I knew you'd say yes." Prim just knows me too well. I brought her to bed and then went to my bedroom myself.

I walked in and saw Peeta at his desk, writing something. He then saw me and smiled. He grabbed his notebook and tore out a page. He wrote something on it and then held it up.

_**OPEN YOUR WINDOW**_

Surely he didn't want to talk this late? Everybody would complain, he knew better than to do that. I obeyed and opened my window. He opened his and grabbed something from his desk. It was a paper airplane. He threw it to me and it landed on my windowsill. I opened it up and read it.

_Hi Katniss. My Dad's bringing me, Leo and Rye to District 10 for a few days. We have a little house there. It's really nice, next to the woods and everything. My Dad says your allowed to come if you want. Would you like to?_

_x Peeta_

He stood there, in front of his window, looking at me and waiting for a response. I grabbed a pen and wrote something underneath his writing.

_Hi Peeta,_

_Yeah, that seams really nice. Prim is in four for a few days anyway, so I can do whatever I want. How late do I have to be at your house?_

_x Katniss_

I threw it back at him and he wrote something on it again. This was like texting but free!

_Be here at nine 'o clock in the morning. We're leaving here at half past nine, and we're going by train. I'll see you in the morning. _

_Love you,_

_Peeta_

I started blushing when I read the last part. I looked at him and he was smiling.

_Love you too, _I wrote on the piece of paper and then threw it back. His eyes lit up and he smiled widely when he saw what I had written back. He waved and closed his window and curtains. I did the same.

I went down to tell Prim were I was going and then packed my bag. I set my alarm clock for 8, so I had enough time to shower, get ready, and walk Prim to Rue's house. I had a quick shower and went into bed. Today had been a very long day. Before I knew it, my eyelids went down and I fell asleep.

**Author's Note: Like the chapter? I hope you did! Next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Friday. Don't forget to review! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Hi! Can you believe we have 49 reviews? Like, I thought this would be one of those stories with no reviews that no one looks at or something. I'm happy I was wrong, haha!**

**Anyway, here's chapter 9, enjoy! :D**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 9_

**Katniss' POV**

I was just about to turn my alarm clock off and go back to sleep, when I remembered I was going to District 10 with Peeta today. I got out of bed, had a shower, and got ready. I then had breakfast with Prim. For the first time in ages, we were both very excited again.

It was 9:45, so I brought Prim to Rue's house. We rang the doorbell and a young woman opened the door. "Hi Prim. You must be Katniss. I'm Rue's mother, Rue told me all about you two yesterday. Would you like to come in for a drink?" She smiled. "Yes, I'm Katniss. Rue's a lovely little girl. I'd love to stay but I have to get going." I said.

I looked at Prim. "Prim, have a great time. Be careful. Don't do anything you know I wouldn't. I love you, and I'll see you in a few days." I gave her a hug and she smiled. "Have fun with Peeta, Katniss." She smiled and winked. I blushed and Prim went inside. I walked back to my house to pick up my bag.

I then walked over to Peeta's house. I knocked on the door and Peeta opened it. "Hi Katniss." He said and kissed my cheek. I blushed and walked in. Mr. Mellark was inside eating a sandwich. "Hi Katniss, we'll be leaving in a few minutes. Leo and Rye just have to finish their packing. I don't understand why they always leave it this late." He rolled his eyes.

I chuckled and followed Peeta to the sofa. I the realized someone wasn't coming with us. "Peeta, is your mother coming with us?" I asked. "No, she decided to stay home. She doesn't like District 10. Well, she doesn't really like any District.." He said and smiled.

A few moments later Rye came running down the stairs. "Dad, I'm packed! I was quicker than Leo!" He said and smiled. Then Leo came running down. "But it's not fair, I couldn't find my black pants!" He said. They were like two little boys.

"Hey, they're my black pants you were searching for, not yours! You always take them!" Peeta said. He stood up and stood next to his brothers. They all started arguing. They were all older than 16. But it was like they were 6.

Mr. Mellark looked at me and we both started laughing really hard. The boys stopped arguing and looked at us. They all looked down ashamed, as if they had just remembered we were there. "Hi Katniss. Are you coming with us?" Leo asked. I nodded. "Okay. Give me a second, I'll just grab my bag and we can go." He headed upstairs and came back moments later. "Ready!"

We all went outside and walked to the train station. Peeta was walking next to Leo, still talking about his black pants, and Rye was walking in front, leading the way. I was walking behind them all, next to Mr. Mellark.. "So Katniss, have you ever been in District 10 before?" He asked. I shook my head. "I've only ever been in District 12." I said. He nodded.

"Your mother does know you're coming with us, doesn't she?" He asked, looking at me seriously.

Oops, I had forgotten to leave a note for my mother. O well, she probably wouldn't notice we were gone anyway. I hadn't seen her in about two weeks now. She could be in another District for all I know.

"Um, yeah, she knows." I said. I wasn't a good liar, but luckily Mr. Mellark just nodded and looked away. I then realized my mother probably hasn't even met the Mellarks yet.

"Ow!" I looked at Peeta and Leo and saw Peeta rubbing his arm. Leo was laughing. Peeta punched his arm and Leo yelled. They then kept punching each other really hard. "Are they always like this?" I asked. Mr. Mellark chuckled. "Yeah, they're all like 4-year-old's." I laughed and Mr. Mellark walked quicker to catch up with them. He then slapped both of their arms and I laughed again.

We were then at the train station. The train was already there. We walked in and sat on the seats. I sat next to Peeta, across from Leo and Rye. Mr. Mellark sat down somewhere behind us. Peeta grabbed my hand and whispered something in my ear. I could feel his breath tickling my ear. "Listen, Leo and Rye are total jerks, so they'll probably annoy us the _whole_ time. But don't worry, you get used to it after a while."

He leaned back and smiled. I laughed and Leo and Rye looked at us, both raising their eyebrows. They looked very alike. You'd nearly think they were twins.

"What are you two whispering about?" Leo asked. "I just told Katniss you two are jerks." Peeta said and smiled. I laughed at Rye's face as he looked at Peeta. Leo looked at Rye and they both nodded.

What were they planning? This couldn't be good. I saw Peeta looking at me, probably with the same thought.

They both looked at me and crossed their arms. "So Katniss.." Said Rye. "Yeah?" "Why do you like Peeta?" I started blushing. How was I supposed to answer this? Peeta looked angry and Leo started talking. "Katniss, don't you think Peeta has the biggest muscles? And beautiful eyes?" I realized what they were doing.

They were trying to mack me as uncomfortable as they could. Leo and Rye saw the realization in my eyes and grinned at each other. "Is our little Peety a good kisser?" Leo asked. I blushed a deep red and Leo and Rye started laughing. "Leo, Rye, stop it, this isn't funny." Peeta said. But I think I could see some pleasure in his eyes. He was probably happy I didn't scream no and jump out of the train or something.

"Oh, okay Peeta, we'll stop embarrassing Katniss." Rye said. Hallelujah. They then both looked at Peeta. Oh, now they were going to embarrass Peeta. Peeta just glared at them as they both folded their arms again.

"So, Peeta, why do you like Katniss?" Leo asked. Peeta looked at me. I could see a faint blush starting to creep up. "Is she a good kisser?" Rye asked. Peeta said nothing and tried to ignore them. "Surely, you should know by now. You've kissed her enough times." Leo said, grinning. But Peeta still wasn't blushing.

"Who would of thought that our little brother, Peeta Mellark, who used to carry his fluffy blanket everywhere until he was 6, would kiss girls?" Rye said. Peeta finally started blushing. Leo looked at Rye and they grinned. They had realized they would have to tell me embarrassing Peeta-moments and secrets to make him blush.

"Yeah.. Oh Rye.." "Yeah?'' Rye said. "Do you remember that cute little teddy bear he had till he was 13? What was that called again?" Leo said. Rye grinned. "I think its name was 'Mr. Fluffypants.'" Leo and Rye both started laughing really hard and Peeta was blushing a deeper red. He was nearly as red as I was.

"Leo, did you know that Peeta still sucks his thumb?" Peeta was a dark red, just as red as me. "No I don't! I, just, you know, I don't-" He got interrupted by the sound of Leo and Rye laughing, they were doubled over and there were tears streaming down their faces. They were having a great time.

They gave each other a high five and laughed for about 5 minutes straight. Peeta and I were both getting a normal color again. After about 10 minutes, Rye got up to get a sandwich and Leo went with them. When they were out of sight I leaned in to whisper something.

"Your brothers are _crazy._" I whispered. Peeta nodded. "The doctors said medication won't help.." He said grinning. I laughed and then remembered something. 'Was _Mr. Fluffypants _a doctor?" I asked. He glared at me and I laughed really hard. That was one good thing about what just happened, I could now tease Peeta with three new things.

He was still glaring at me and I stuck out my tongue. He pushed my arm and I thought I'd pay him back for it, so I pretended he really hurt me. "Ow Peeta, my arm.." I said, looking hurt. His eyes suddenly turned scared. "Oh my god, Katniss, I'm sorry, did I hurt you? I didn't mean to, I'm so sorry! Is your arm okay? Pull up your sleeve and show me where it hurts."

I pulled up my sleeve and he put his face close to my arm, looking for a bruise or bump. "I don't see anything.." He said. I then hit his cheek with my elbow and laughed. He realized I wasn't actually hurt and looked at me playfully. "It's on, Everdeen.. Are you ticklish?" He asked.

Shit. "No, not at all." I said, but he noticed I was lying. He tickled my waist and I started laughing uncontrollably. I tried to stop him but he wouldn't budge. I then realized what I had to do to stop him.

I leaned towards him and kissed him. His hands froze and relaxed again on my waist. I kissed him for about a minute and then pulled back. "I win." I said and grinned. He looked at me in shock. I laughed and he pouted. I grinned again and kissed him.

"Ew, get a _roooom_!" I jumped and looked. Leo and Rye sat down across from us. Peeta and I were both blushing again. "You two really can't help yourselves, can you?" Rye said. I looked down and saw Peeta do the same. Then Peeta's father came over to us.

"The train stops in a minute. Grab your bags." He said. Leo and Rye got up first and then raced to the door. I laughed and shook my head. Mr. Mellark then looked at me and Peeta and grinned. I had forgotten he was only sitting a few seats behind us, so he had heard and seen everything.

I looked at Peeta and he just grabbed my hand and walked me to the door, holding both our bags. The train soon stopped and the door opened. We walked out and I looked at District 10. It was lovely. It was a bit like District 12, only more farms and woods. And it was sunnier. "Hello District 10." Said Leo.

We walked for 5 minutes and then went into the woods. "Um, why are we going in here?" I asked. Peeta grinned at me. "We have a little house in here. Well, actually it's more like a posh cottage." He said. Having a house or cottage in the woods had always been my dream. We walked for another few minutes and then we were there. The cottage was lovely, it was quite big, and it had a well next to it.

Mr. Mellark opened the door and we walked in. Leo and Rye just dropped their bags and went back outside. "See you later!" They yelled. Mr. Mellark went to the well, probably to fill some buckets of water for us. We were in the kitchen.

"Okay, so, there's a kitchen, toilet, small living room and..." He stopped and looked at me with big eyes. "What?" I asked. "There are.. 3 bedrooms." He said. I counted in my head. That would be one for Mr. Mellark, one for Rye and Leo and one for me and... Peeta.

I felt myself blushing. "Um, I'll show you the bedrooms." Peeta said and I followed him. One bedroom had one double bed in it. The next had two small beds in it. And the last had one small bed in it. Rye and Leo would take the bedroom with two small beds. And Mr. Mellark would take the one with one small bed.

Which would mean Peeta and I would have the bedroom with the big bed. We walked in and we both put our bags on the floor. "Um, Katniss, you can have the bed, I'll sleep in the living room on the sofa or something-" Peeta started saying, but I interrupted him. "Peeta, this is your cottage, I can't just take your bed and leave you sleep on the sofa. I'll sleep in the living room." I said.

He frowned at me. "I'm not leaving you sleep on the sofa. I just can't do that." He said. I knew he wouldn't leave me sleep there. "Fine," I said, "Then we both sleep in the big bed." I blushed and Peeta looked at me in shock. He also started blushing and I looked down.

"Would you like something to eat? We could have a picnic." He suggested. I suddenly realized I was starving. Traveling must do that to you. "Sure." I said and followed him to the kitchen. He grabbed a big picnic basket and filled it with bread, jam, cheese, croissants and a drink. He also grabbed a blanket to sit on.

I looked at the clock. It was already 11 'o clock. We had been in the train longer than I thought. We headed out and Peeta told his dad we'd be in the woods.

We walked for a while, Peeta holding the basket in one hand, and my hand in the other. Then we were in a field full of flowers. We stopped in the middle and Peeta lay out the blanket. We sat down and Peeta opened the basket. We both had some bread and jam. Peeta had a big blob of jam next to his mouth.

I leaned towards him and he froze. His ear was an inch from my mouth and I whispered softly. "_There's a blob of jam next to your mouth._" I leaned back and started laughing. He was blushing and wiped his mouth of the back of his hand. We had the croissants and then sat there, looking at the flowers. I inched closer to Peeta. He was lying back and I put my head on his chest. He stroked my hair softly, untangling my braid.

I don't know how long we were lying there like that. I think it was for about three hours. We talked about everything.

But after a while he sat up. It was a shame, cause I was really comfy on his chest. He stood up and I looked at him in confusion. He walked around for a few seconds and then picked a flower. He came back and sat in front of me. He tucked my hair back behind my ear and then gave me the flower he had picked. It was a beautiful dandelion.

"It's lovely, Peeta. Thank you." I said and smiled at him. He smiled back at me and brushed my cheek with his hand. "Katniss, I love you." He said and blushed. I blushed as well. "I love you too Peeta." I said and kissed him. He was now sitting next to me. He put his hands on my waist and I put my arms around his neck.

We kissed for a while and then I lay on his chest again. This place was so peaceful. It made me forget about all the bad things in the world.

After a while I looked up to see the sun setting. "That's your favorite color, isn't it?" I asked. He nodded. I never really understood why he liked orange that much. But now I did. It was beautiful. We sat up and I leaned my head on his shoulder as he put one of his arms around my shoulder.

We watched the sun go down and then started to walk back to the cottage. We didn't want to get lost in the woods when it was dark. We were back soon and walked in. Peeta's father was inside on the sofa, drinking a cup of what looked like coffee. "Hi kids. Have a good time?" He smiled. We both nodded.

We then walked to the bedroom. I sat down on the bed and he just stood there awkwardly. "Um, do you wanna go to bed?" He asked. I nodded. I was knackered, it had been a long day. I stood up to grab my pajamas and put my hand in my bag.

"Shit, I think I forgot my pajamas." I said. I remembered putting them off this morning and leaving them on my bed. "Oh.. You can lend one of my shirts if you want." He smiled. "Okay, thanks." I said and Peeta went to grab a shirt. He came back with a big blue one. "Peeta.." I said. "Yes?" "Do you have any shirts that aren't very see-through?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Peeta looked at the shirt he had grabbed and blushed. "I'm sorry.." I heard him mumble as he went to grab another shirt. This time he came back with a red one. This one was smaller, but at least it wasn't see-through. He handed it to me and I smiled at him. "Thanks." I went into the 'bathroom'. It was a small toilet, which wasn't bigger than my closet. And I had a small closet.

I put the red t-shirt on and was happy I had remembered to shave my legs this morning. The t-shirt stopped just under my underwear. And I couldn't go to get my bag to grab shorts or anything anymore without him seeing me, so I decided I'd just go to bed like this.

I opened the toilet door and put my head through the opening. I gasped. Peeta was faced the other way, putting on his pajamas. He was just taking his shirt off, and I could see his muscles. He heard me gasp and turned around, his shirt in his hand. He saw my mouth was open and my eyes were wide and he smiled, blushing. I then realized I was staring.

I opened the door totally and stepped out. I was his turn to gasp. I blushed, trying to not look at him again, as he wasn't putting on a pajama shirt. I turned around and looked at his face. "You look _so_ beautiful." He said, his face still slightly shocked. But he was smiling widely. I blushed. He then sat down on the bed.

"Aren't you putting on a pajama top?" I asked, trying to sound casual. "No, its still very warm at night." He said. I thought I was going to faint. I was going to sleep in one bed with Peeta, while I was just wearing a shirt and he was just wearing pajama shorts.

We brushed our teeth and Peeta then went into bed. He put his arms behind his head and grinned at me. "Are you coming or what?" He said. He found it very amusing that I couldn't stop blushing. I stepped in and lay down.

Peeta yawned and rested his arm behind on my shoulder. "That trick is _so_ old, Mellark. If you wanted to put you arm on my shoulder, all you had to do was ask." I joked. He grinned and put both his arms around my shoulder. I closed my eyes.

Before I knew it I was asleep in Peeta's arms.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Hi, how's everyone's weekend so far? :) Mine's fine, this story has 57 reviews already! I only published the first chapter 9 days ago! I'm just so glad you all like the story, every time I get an e-mail from fanfiction, I get all happy and my friends/family just look at me like I'm crazy :D (no comments on that please, haha!) **

**Anyway, here's chapter 10, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 10_

**Katniss' POV**

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Peeta's face, inches from mine. He had his arms around my waist and I was snuggled up against his chest. I then thought what it would be like to wake up like this every morning. I quickly pushed the thought away and looked at the clock on the wall. It was half past ten.

I decided it was time to get up and gave Peeta a short kiss. His eyes fluttered open and his mouth went into an easy smile. "Good morning beautiful. Have a nice sleep?" He asked, his voice husky.

"Brilliant, I slept like a rose." I said and smiled at him. His hair was messy and his eyes were a bright blue in the sunlight shining through the window. "That's good." He said and gave me a kiss on the top of my head. "What are we going to do today?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I don't mind." He said. "Could we go to town? I might be able to buy pajamas.." I said and blushed at the thought that I was only wearing a shirt. Peeta smiled. "Sure." He said and sat up. He yawned and stretched his arms. His muscles looked amazing, and as he looked back at me I realized I was staring again.

He just grinned as he saw me blushing. He got up and walked over to the bathroom. I sat up in bed. I had known Peeta for about a month now, and I was already sleeping in the same bed as him. What has happened to me? I would have never imagined this happening a month ago.

A few moments later Peeta walked in and started looking for his clothes. I grabbed my clothes as well and went into the bathroom. "See you downstairs." I said winking at Peeta. He grinned and started putting on a shirt. I closed the bathroom door. There wasn't any shower. I suppose I would have to wash myself with some water from the well later or something.

I put on a white tank top and some denim shorts. I then combed and braided my hair. I walked out of the bathroom and put Peeta's red shirt on the bed. I then went downstairs for breakfast.

**Peeta's POV**

Leo, Rye, my dad and I were all sitting at the table. Katniss came walking down the stairs, looking as beautiful as ever in a tank top and shorts. "Morning." She said to everyone and sat down.

We all started talking and having some cheese buns my dad had made. "These are delicious!" Katniss said. "Thank you, but they're not as nice as when Peeta makes them." My father said, smiling at me. I smiled back and finished my bun.

After a while there was a silence. Then my father started talking again. "Peeta, I understand you and Katniss are sharing the double bed?" He said. Oh no. Where was this leading to? I blushed and saw Katniss was blushing to, picking at her bun.

"Um, yeah.." I said. My father looked at me seriously. "I want to have a father-son talk with you after breakfast, okay?" Oh my god, he was going to give me _the talk_. I sighed and nodded. Leo and Rye were laughing and stood up. "We'll be in town, have fun with your _talk._" They snickered and left the kitchen.

We were soon finished and my father looked at me. "Um, Katniss, why don't you go to the living room for a second, I'll be there in a minute." I said and looked at her. She looked at me with apologizing eyes, as if she wishes she could get me outta this. I smiled at her reassuringly and she went into the living room.

I turned to my father. "Listen son, I know you don't want to have this talk with me, and I don't really want to either. But just listen so we can be done with it." I nodded. My father had never given me the talk before, but I knew everything there was to know. My brothers had informed me when I was smaller.

"So, Peeta, your 16 now, and you're going to have.. feelings for Katniss. Special feelings, and you're going to want to do certain stuff with her." I was blushing. I knew what he was talking about. "But you just have to know, you have to keep your... _frosting_.. in your pants until your married. Got it?" I nearly laughed out loud. _Frosting_? Seriously?

I just nodded and was about to turn around, when he said something. "Peeta?" "Yeah?" " I'm serious, I don't want you to get her knocked up and make me a grandad before I'm 50." He said. I laughed and nodded. "Don't worry." I said and walked into the living room.

Katniss was on the sofa redoing her braid. She looked at me when I walked in and smiled. "So, how was the talk?" "Well, he told me to keep my _frosting_ in my pants and not get you knocked up." I said, grinning. Katniss blushed and started laughing. "Your frosting? I know he used to be a baker and everything, but.. _frosting_?" She laughed even harder and I smiled at how happy she looked.

"Yeah.. Anyway, do you wanna go into town now?" I asked. She nodded and grabbed my hand. "Let's go."

**Katniss' POV**

We walked out of the cottage and through the woods, into town. In my head I was still laughing about how Peeta's father had used the word frosting. We were soon in town and we walked through a street with a lot of shops.

There were a lot of small shops. Shops with clothes, food, and little things nobody really wanted. We then walked towards a big fountain at the end of the street.

I sat down on the side of it, and Peeta sat down next to me. He was still holding my hand. I looked in front of me and saw a lot of little kids playing. All of them were blonde with green eyes. Everyone in District 10 looked like that. Literally _nobody_ had brown hair and gray eyes. Then a group of 7-year-old's came walking towards us.

They stopped in front of us. "Why do you have brown hair?" One girl asked me. She looked like Prim when she was younger. I looked at Peeta and he was grinning. "That's just my natural hair color." I said and smiled at her.

She then looked at Peeta, and saw that we were holding hands. "Is she your girlfriend?" She 'whispered' to Peeta. Peeta looked at me and whispered yes. "She's really pretty!" The girl whispered at him. Peeta smiled and held my hand tighter. "I know." he whispered back and then gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Eeeew!" The little kids yelled and ran back to play. We laughed. "You really are beautiful you know." He said. I blushed. "I am not. Those kids just haven't ever been that close to real brown hair before." I said. Peeta sighed. He then looked up at me mischievously. "You know, if you don't admit you're beautiful.." He said and stood up in front of me.

"Then what?" I asked. "..Then I might just have to throw you into the water." He grinned at me and I looked at him in shock. "You wouldn't." "Oh I would." He said and put his arms under my arms and legs. He easily picked me up and held me over the fountain. "Peeta, put me down, this water is probably freezing!" I said.

He laughed and dropped me. I fell into the water. I saw Peeta laughing at me and people around us looking at us in shock. I grabbed Peeta's hand and pulled him into the fountain. He fell in and looked at me in shock. "Katniss, how _dare_ you do that?" He asked, pretending to pout.

I then splashed some water at him, and he splashed some back. That quickly turned into a water fight. After a few minutes I climbed out of the water and sat on the side of the fountain, and Peeta did the same, sitting next to me. Both of our clothes were soaked and Peeta's hair was hanging in his eyes.

We sat there for half an hour and quickly dried, as it was very warm outside and the sun was shining. "Do you want to get an ice cream?" Peeta then asked. I nodded. It was probably already past twelve. We walked over to an Italian ice cream shop. When we walked in, the man behind the counter looked up and smiled.

"Peeta, I haven't seen you in months, how are you!" He walked over to us and gave Peeta a hug. "I'm fine thanks." He said. The man then looked at me and his eyes went wide. "Who's the lovely lady, Peeta?" "I'm Peeta's girlfriend, Katniss." I said and smiled at him. "Nice to meet you, Katniss." He said and winked at me. He then walked back to get something.

I looked over at Peeta and he was smiling at me with his biggest smile again. "What's wrong?" I asked. "You just called yourself my girlfriend." He said, still smiling. "No I didn't." Did I? "Yes you did." He said and I started blushing. "Oh, I- I'm sorry, I kinda thought we were-" I then felt Peeta's lips against mine. A few moments later he pulled away and grinned. "There's no need to be sorry at all, Katniss."

The man then walked back over to us and asked us what flavor we wanted. "I'll have chocolate please." I said and looked at Peeta. "Make that two chocolate ice creams." He said. The man gave us the ice creams and we went outside. We then walked to a park and sat down on bench. Peeta put one of his arms on my shoulder.

"So I take it you come here often?" I ask. He looks at me and nods. "Yeah, usually about three times a year. The cottage used to be my uncle's. But he passed away before I was born and gave it to my father. So we've been going here for as long as I can remember." I nod, licking my ice cream.

We soon finish and just sit there in the sun, with Peeta's arm around my shoulders. After a while we start walking again and come across a playground. Peeta grabs my hand and pulls me in. He walks me over to the swings. I sit down and he sits down on the one next to me. He's still holding my hand and we start talking. Then a girl sees us and walks over to us.

"Hiya Peeta! How are you! I haven't seen you in ages!" She says and smiles at him. She has black hair and looks about 19 years old. She then turns to me. "Who is this?" She asks. Peeta looks at me and smiles. "This is Katniss, my _girlfriend_." He squeezes my hand and I can't help thinking he's probably going to use the word 'girlfriend' a lot now.

The girl waves at me and says "Hi Katniss, I'm Johanna." "Nice to meet you." I say and smile at her. "Johanna's one of my best friends." Peeta says. I suddenly feel a bit jealous. "Peeta, don't get all mushy." Johanna says and pushes his arm. Peeta laughs and shakes his head. "Anyway, I gotta go, I'll see you guys later. Nice to meet you, Catpiss." She grins and walks away.

Peeta glares at her and then smiles at me. "Don't worry, she has names for everyone she likes." He says. I nod. "Do you want to have dinner somewhere? We can go to a pizzeria or something." He then suggests. "Yeah, that would be nice." I say and stand up.

We walk over to a fancy pizzeria. When we walk in, the owner looks at us and immediately smiles. "Peeta, how are you! You have grown so much!" He says and kisses Peeta on both cheeks. "Fine thanks, this is my girlfriend, Katniss." He says and gestures towards me.

"Ah, Katniss, nice to meet you. I suppose you want a table for two?" He asks and we both nod. He walks us over to a table next to a window in the corner. "This is one of the best tables in the whole pizzeria, so enjoy. What would you like to have?" The man asks. "I think I'll have a pizza with cheese, tomato, pepperoni, and mushrooms." Peeta says. "What about you?" He asks me.

"Um, I think I'll have a pizza with just cheese and tomato please." I say. The man nods and walks away and comes back with drinks a few moments later. "The pizza's should be ready in a few moments." He says and walks over to another table.

It's starting to get pretty dark outside, and you can nearly see the stars. Inside there was a very romantic feeling, there were a lot of couples. The place wasn't very big, there weren't more than 8 tables. There were candles to light up every table.

A few moment later our pizza's comes. They look really big and tasty. "Enjoy!" The man says and winks at us. We eat our pizza and talk. Peeta is finished when I still have two whole slices left. "Ugh, I'm full. Here, you have a piece." I say, handing him a small piece. He takes it and smiles at me. "Thanks." He then finishes it in less than 10 seconds.

"How can you still be hungry?" I ask in disbelieve. He grins at me. "I'm a teenage boy Katniss. I have my needs. And one of them is to eat a lot of food." I blush, thinking of what the other needs might be.

I then finish my pizza and Peeta pays the man. We walk out, and the stars and moon are very bright. We walk over to the woods. Peeta grabs my right hand. We walk slowly, enjoying the moonlight. After a while we're at the cottage. We walk in to find Leo and Rye sitting on the ground, playing a card game.

"Where have you two been?" Leo asks, still focusing on his cards. "We went to town and just had a pizza." Peeta says. "Ah, okay." Leo says. We then walk to the bedroom, and I remember something. "Ugh, Peeta, I forgot to look for pajamas." "Oh, you can lend my shirt again if you want." I nod and smile at him. I sit down on the bed as Peeta looks at me.

"I'm going to bed." I say and Peeta nods. "Me too, I'm really tired." He says. I walk into the bathroom, putting on Peeta's red shirt. I'd have a 'shower' tomorrow morning. I walk out and find Peeta already lying in bed, his hands behind his head. He looks at me when I walk out and smiles.

I pull up the sheets and lie next to Peeta. The second my head hits the pillow, Peeta pulls me into his arms and kisses me. He rolls me over so I'm laying on top of him. My hands trace his chest as we kiss, only leaning back to get some air. After about 10 minutes I pull back, blushing deep and breathing heavily.

I look up at Peeta's face and he's just smiling at me. "I love you." He says, and I can hear the honesty in his words. "I love you too." I say and he starts kissing me again. He rolls over so he's lying on top of me. He holds himself up with his elbows so I don't feel his weight. We kiss for another 10 minutes, and when he leans back, I instantly want more.

He sighs and rolls off of me. He then kisses the top of my head. "Goodnight, Katniss. I love you." He says and I snuggle into his chest. I whisper "I love you too", and fall asleep in a blink.

**Author's Note: Aw! This was chapter 10, I hope you enjoyed it! By the way, do any of you have a suggestion for Mr. Mellark's first name? If a few people suggest one, I'll pick the one I like most and call him that :) Next chapter will be up by Monday evening, maybe tomorrow. Don't forget to review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Happy Sunday everyone! :) There were only a few suggestions, of which two of them were 'Jonathan'. So I'm going to pick that name. I also loved 'Chris', but I don't think it really suits Mr. Mellark's character. Anyway, here's chapter 11, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 11_

**Katniss' POV**

When I woke up, the bed felt very empty. My hands searched for Peeta's body, but it was gone. I opened my eyes and saw Peeta's side of the bed was empty. I sat up and stretched my back. I was about to get up when I saw a note on Peeta's pillow.

_Hi Katniss,_

_Went to town to buy some breakfast. I'll be home round 11. Hope you slept well._

_Love you, _

_Peeta_

I stood up and got dressed. I then walked downstairs, to find Mr. Mellark sitting down at the table, having some coffee. "Good morning Katniss." He smiled. "Morning." I said and sat down opposite him. "Coffee?" He asked. "No thank you." I never understood why people liked coffee, I thought it was very bitter.

Mr. Mellark finished his coffee and put down his mug. "Katniss, do you want to go for a short walk through the woods?" He asked. "Sure." I replied and stood up. We walked outside in silence.

After a few moments Mr. Mellark started talking. "How is your mother doing?" He asked. I shrugged. "I haven't seen her in a few weeks now. She works at a hospital and only comes home to sleep so now and then. If that." I said. He nodded, his eyebrows knitted.

"You know, if you ever need anything, or want something, or just need a talk, you can always come over to our house." He said. I smiled at him. "Thanks, Mr. Mellark." "Oh, please, call me Jonathan. Mr. Mellark makes me sound so old!" I laughed. "Okay, thanks Jonathan." He smiled at me.

"How's Prim doing?" He asked. "She's fine, she's in District 11 at the moment with her friend, Rue." "Ah good. I love Prim, she's so adorable." He said. I nodded. Everybody loved Prim.

We talked for another 10 minutes and then ended up at the cottage again. We walked into the kitchen and saw Peeta sitting there with a nervous look in his eyes. He then saw us and sighed. "Katniss, where were you?" He asked, walking over to me. "I just had a walk with your dad." I said as Mr. Mellark- I mean, Jonathan- winked at me.

"Okay. Next time please tell me where you are, I was really worried." Peeta said and gave me a kiss. I laughed. "We were only gone for about 10 minutes." He shrugged.

We sat down at the table. "So what did you get?" I asked, I was getting really hungry. He grabbed a bag and emptied it. There were croissants, cheese buns and chocolate muffins. "Ugh I love you." I said as I grabbed a cheese bun and stuffed nearly the whole thing into my mouth. He chuckled and grabbed a croissant.

We had our breakfast and talked a bit. "So what do you want to do today?" I asked. Peeta grinned. "Well, when I was in town I walked past a shop with a lot of cheap little things.." he said and grabbed a big bag, ".. and then I found this." He gave me the bag. I looked inside and found a wooden bow and arrows.

"So I was wondering if you could teach me how to hunt." He said, still grinning at me. I nodded and we walked outside. After a while we stopped and sat down on a big rock. "Okay, so if you want to hunt, the first thing you have to know is to not make _any_ sound." I said.

He nodded and pretended to lock his mouth with a key. I smiled. "Second, you have to concentrate. You have to be aware of everything happening around you." He nodded again, looking concentrated. I took the bow and arrow out of the bag. "I'll show you how to shoot." I said and stood up.

I stood there for a few moments, until I saw a squirrel on a branch. I winked at Peeta and grabbed an arrow. I pulled back and shot the squirrel in the head.

"Wow, that was amazing!" Peeta yelled and stood up to see the squirrel better. I walked over to it and pulled my arrow out of its head. "Can I have a go?" He asked and I nodded, handing him the bow and arrows.

He held the bow and arrow and shot at a bird in a tree. He missed terribly. I chuckled. "Nice try Peeta. But you're holding it wrong. You have to hold it more like this.." I said, standing behind him and stretching my arms to be able to hold his hands. I positioned his arms and aimed for the same bird.

He let go and nearly hit the bird, it flew right past its head and into the tree. "That was very good!" I said and he grinned at me. We practiced a few more times and after a while, he shot his first squirrel.

He jumped in the air, yelling "I did it! I shot a squirrel! I actually did it!". I laughed and collected the arrow. "Very well done." I said and he gave me a kiss. I dropped the bow and put my hands on his chest. Was I ever going to get used to this? A few moments later he leaned back.

"You're an excellent teacher." He whispers, and I can feel his breath tickling my ear. I blush and step back. "Shall we go back?" I ask and he nods. We walk back, and Peeta talks about how he hit that squirrel and how he had never done it before.

We walked back, and saw Leo sitting outside with a girl. You could see they were flirting. Peeta looked at me. "Payback?" He whispered. I grinned and nodded. "Payback time." We walked towards them. "Hey Leo, who's this?" Peeta asked.

Leo saw us and looked worried. "Um, this is Isabel." He said and the girl smiled at us. "Hi Isabel, I'm Peeta, Leo's little brother and this is my girlfriend, Katniss." Peeta said and grinned.

"But anyway Leo, can you please stop stealing Katniss' shoes?" He said. I looked down, trying not to laugh. Leo looked shocked and Isabel was just looking confused. "I mean, I know you really like them, but they're Katniss' pumps, not yours. Come on bro." He said and I was just able to suppress a smile.

"I- I never-" Leo stammered, but Peeta interrupted him again. "And oh yeah, Dad told me to tell you he found your magazines you hid under your bed. He's very disappointed in you." Leo's cheeks went red. "And Maggie called. She said you can pick up your wig as soon as you get home." Peeta said and walked towards the door. "Nice to meet you, Isabel!" He said and walked into the cottage. I followed him and closed the door behind us. Once we were in, we started laughing.

"You're amazing!" I said and Peeta grinned. We opened the window a little bit and peeked out. We saw Isabel stand up. "Um, I better go home.." She said. "No, Isabel, wait, I can explain!" Leo said, trying to stop her. "I'll, um, see you around." She said, walking away. Leo turned around and saw us. He walked in, his face red.

"I'll kill you, Peeta. When you least expect it. You better sleep with one eye open." He said and ran upstairs. Peeta and I just looked at each other and laughed again. We walked into the kitchen and made a sandwich. "So what do you want to do now?" He asked. "How about we go swimming? There must be a lake here somewhere.." I said.

Peeta had a weird look in his eyes. "Do you really want to go swimming? It's pretty cold outside." What? It was the warmest day since we had been here! "What are you talking about?" He sighed. "You probably don't even have your bikini with you." He said. "Oh yes I do. So come on, let's go." I said, and went upstairs to grab my bikini and bath towel. He followed and grabbed his swimsuit as well.

We walked downstairs and into the woods. After a half an hour, we finally found a beautiful lake. We put down our bags. "Peeta, turn around and don't peek." I said, and he turned around. I quickly put on my bikini. "Okay, your turn." I said. He turned around and started taking of his shirt. His body was amazing.

He saw I hadn't turned around. "Hey, that's not fair! Turn around!" He said, grinning. I turned around, and a few moments later he said he was ready. He was wearing blue swim shorts which ended just above his knees. I jumped into the lake and turned around. Peeta was still standing there. "Come on Peeta, don't just stand there!" I said.

"Um, I'm really cold. The water's freezing so I'll just stay here." He said. I snorted. The water wasn't cold- it was actually quite warm. "Peeta, why won't you just come in?" He sighed. "I.. I just- I don't.. I can't swim." He whispered. Well, I didn't see that one coming. I forgot that I had only learned how to swim because my father had taught me.

"Okay, that doesn't matter, the water isn't that deep. Come on, I'll teach you how to swim." I said. He still looked hesitant. "You do know that if you look underwater you can see my body very clearly? And I'm only wearing a swimsuit?" I said, and before I had finished the sentence he had jumped in. I swam over to him and pulled him over to the shallow part.

"Okay, you just have to relax. Try floating on your back." I said. He did as I said and tried to float on his back. After a few moments I let go of him and he was floating by himself. "Very good, now just do that and move your arms and legs at the same time." I said. He obeyed and after a while he was swimming.

"How do I swim underwater?" He asked, grinning. Ugh, teenage boys. I laughed and shook my head. "You'll have to figure that out on your own." He pouted and dived underwater. Suddenly I felt something under my legs. Peeta was lifting me out of the water. He held me in his arms.

"Peeta, put me down!" I yelled. He chuckled. "Now, now, miss Everdeen, quiet down." He said and kissed me. I put my arms around his neck and he shifted how he was holding me. He put his hands under my legs and hitched them around his waist. I don't know how long we stood there like that, it could have been a minute or an hour.

After a while he put me down and grinned. "I love you." He said. "You say that too often." I said, grinning. He shrugged. "I know." And kissed me on the top of my head.

He swam over to the side of the lake and got out to sit on the grass. I followed him and sat next to him. We dried ourselves and put on our clothes. We then walked back to the cottage. The sun was starting to set already. How long had we been swimming?

We got back and put our bags upstairs. We then walked outside and saw Peeta's dad planting some flowers outside. "Hey Dad, shall I cook dinner tonight?" Peeta suggested. He looked at us. "Sure, if you want. Thanks." He said and Peeta smiled. We walked back in and went to the kitchen.

"Do you want to help me? I can teach you how to make a perfect pasta!" Peeta said. "I don't know, Peeta. I'm really bad at cooking. I'll probably set the whole cottage on fire." He chuckled and grabbed my hand. "You'll be fine. Don't forget, you've got a brilliant teacher." He said, wiggling his eyebrows. I laughed. Peeta could be so silly sometimes.

Peeta explained everything and helped me make it. It took a while, but when we were finished, it looked pretty good. I started to put out plates for everyone and Peeta made a quick sauce to go with the pasta. Jonathan, Leo and Rye came in and sat down. I sat down as well, and Peeta then came in with the bowl of pasta.

"Welcome to restaurant Mellark, this dish is called _Pasta á la Katniss_. He put the bowl on the table and took the lid off. It smelled delicious. He sat down and everyone grabbed some. I took a bite, and it tasted even better than it smelled. "Peeta, this is wonderful!" I said. His father nodded. "Well, you made it." Peeta said. I shook my head. "I just did what you told me to do." I grinned.

Everyone finished their pasta really quick. "Peet, I have to admit, that was really nice." Rye said. He smiled. "Thank Katniss, not me." I shook my head again.

Peeta's eyes lit up. "Hey, who's up for some karaoke?" Oh no. Mr. Mellark shook his head. "Have fun, I'll be out the back." He said and stood up. Rye nodded. "Yeah, why not." We looked at Leo. "I still hate you for what you did today. But I explained everything about you two being stupid and Isabel understood, I think. She's coming over later. I suppose we'll join you." He said. Peeta smiled. "Great!"

"Um, Peeta, you can sing without me." I said. Peeta looked at me with sad eyes. "No, Katniss, come on, please sing with us, I beg you." I sighed. "Fine, one song." He smiled and went upstairs to grab the karaoke machine. While he was grabbing it, someone knocked on the door. "That will be Isabel!" Leo said and ran to get it.

Peeta walked back down and Isabel and Leo entered the room. "Hi everybody." Isabel said. I waved at her. Peeta plugged in the machine. "Okay, I'll go first!" He said. He grabbed the microphone and put on a song. The song started. Oh no, was he seriously going to do this song? It was _What makes you beautiful_ by some boy band or something. He looked at me and started singing. I immediately felt myself blushing.

_You're insecure, don't know what for._

_You turn heads when you walk through the do-o-or._

_Everyone else in the room can see it,_

_everyone else but youuu._

_Baby you light up my world like nobody else!_

_The way that you braid your hair gets me overwhelmed!_

_But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell,_

_You don't know, oh oh!_

_You don't know your beautiful!_

_That's what makes you beautiful!_

He then does this weird dance and I start laughing. The song ends and he puts down the microphone and walks over to me. He kisses me and Rye yells "Get a room!". He chuckles and stands next to me.

It was now Leo's turn. He grinned mischievously at Isabel and put on a song. It was _Call Me Maybe_.

He started shaking his butt, and the song started.

_I threw a wish in a well, don´t ask me I´ll never tell.  
I looked as you as it fell, your name is I-sa-bel!_

_Hey! I just met you,_

_And this is crazy!_

_But here's my number, _He hands Isabel a piece of paper,

_So call me maybe!_

The music stops and Isabel runs up to him to give him a kiss. Now, it was Rye's turn. "Listen, I'm not going to be as boring as you two and sing some stupid love song or something. I'm going to be singing about facts." He said and smiled. The music started.

_When I walk on by, girls be looking like damn he fly.  
I pimp to the beat, walking on the street in my new lafreak yeah._

_This is how I roll, animal print, pants outta control._

_It's Le-o, with the big ass yo, and everyone's enjoying the show, yeah!_

_I'm sexy and I know it!_

He starts wiggling his.. _private part_ and everybody bursts out laughing. The song ends and then it's my turn. I walk to the microphone and pick it up. I decide to do the song _Just the way you are_. The music starts and I start singing.

_Oh, his eyes, his eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining.  
His hair, his air, falls perfectly without him trying._

_He's so beautiful, and I tell him everyday._

_When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change.  
Cause your amazing, just the way you are!_

_And when you smile,the whole world stops and stares for a while._

_Cause boy your amazing, just the way you are!_

The song ends and everyone claps for me. I blush and walk over to Peeta. "That was beautiful Katniss, thank you." He says and gives me a short kiss. Isabel then sings a song I don't know. When she's finished she goes home and we decide to go to bed.

We walk to the bedroom and I go to the bathroom to get dressed. I then walk to bed and lie on my pillow. A few moments later, Peeta jumps into bed too. He pulls me close and starts kissing me. It's like we do this every night, it's turning into a ritual or something.

He sits up and pulls me onto his lap. He then hitches my legs around his waist again. We sit there for a while. When he finally pulls away, I have a weird feeling in my stomach. I kiss him again and roll us over, so that he's lying on top of me, with my legs still around his waist. I nibble on his bottom lip and he moans. "Ugh Katniss.." I smile and lean back.

"You really have no idea, the effect you have on me." He says and kisses me one last time. We then lie down. I snuggle into his chest again, one of my legs in between his. He strokes my hair. "_Goodnight, Katniss. Have sweet dreams._" I hear him whisper before I fall into a deep sleep.

**Author's Note: Like the chapter? Can you believe we have 69 reviews? Thank you all, sooo much! By the way, someone asked if Peeta and Katniss can just make love already. Don't worry, I'll try and put a love-making-scene in this story, but not yet. I think Katniss is still a bit too innocent at the moment. Anyway, chapter 12 will be up by tomorrow or Tuesday evening. If you have any suggestions, remarks, comments, or wanna say anything, don't forget to review! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Hola! How was everyone's Monday? Someone asked how many chapter's there are left in this story, and to be fair, I have _no_ idea. How many chapter's do you guys think I should write? I love writing this story so I wouldn't mind writing another 20/30 chapters or so. But if you all think that's too long, I don't know :) Anyway, here's chapter 12! It begins with Peeta's POV for a change!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 12_

**Peeta's POV**

The sunlight beams in through the window. I roll over and see Katniss is still sleeping. Ugh, she looked like sleeping beauty at the moment. I stood up and put on a blue shirt and white shorts. I ran my hand through my hair and walked downstairs. "Morning Dad." I said and patted my father's shoulder. He smiled up at me. "Good morning Peeta. Tea?" I nodded. "But no sugar please."

While Dad was making me some tea I wondered about what we were going to do today. We were going back tomorrow, so I wanted to do something special. My father handed me over a cup and I drank my tea. A few moments later I heard someone walking down the stairs. I looked and saw Katniss coming down.

"Good morning, Katniss. Sleep well?" I asked and gave her a kiss. She nodded a bit sleepily. We then had some breakfast and she woke up a bit. "So, what do you want to do today? We're going back tomorrow, so we can do whatever you want." I say. She suddenly looks sad. "We're going back tomorrow?" I nod. She probably loved the District. I just loved being with her the whole time.

"How about we just go into town again? Go into all the little boutique's, see what we find?" She suggested. "If you want." I said and smiled. She smiled back at me and went upstairs for a moment. When she came back down, we were ready to go. I grabbed her hand. I loved touching her. Just holding her hand, brushing her cheek. Those little things made me the happiest man on the world.

We walked outside and into town. She then dragged me into some old-fashioned photo store. They were selling a camera for a very cheap price, so I bought it. The first picture I made on it, was one of Katniss. She was laughing and looked very happy.

We then walked into a little boutique. We put on a lot of different hats and fake-mustaches. By the time we walked out, we couldn't stop laughing, we had both looked so silly. We went into a lot of different little shops. While Katniss was looking at something, I saw a beautiful necklace. It was gold and had a mockingjay on it. I secretly bought it while she wasn't looking. I'd give it to her as a present later.

We then walked to the park. We sat down on the grass, and I pulled her over to sit on my lap. "You look beautiful." I said. She sighed, knowing that if she said no, I'd just argue with her. "Thank you." She said and smiled. "I bought you something." I said and grinned. "What? What did you buy? Peeta you didn't have to buy me anything.." She said, but I stopped her with a kiss. I then pulled out the box and opened it.

**Katniss' POV**

He opened the box and I gasped. Inside the box was the most beautiful necklace I had ever seen. It was gold with a mockingjay on it. Mockingjays were birds. They could sing anything. I loved them, I thought they were really special.

"Peeta.. it's.. it's beautiful, really. Thank you so much." I said and smiled. He grinned at me. "Turn around." He said and I held up my hair. He then put the necklace on me. I turned around and smiled at him. "It's looks wonderful on you, Katniss." He said. "Thank you." I said and kissed him. I didn't care there were people all around us.

He put one hand on my lower back, pulling me closer to him. His other hand was running through my hair. My hands were around his neck. We kissed for a while until somebody rudely interrupted us. "Ahum? Seriously? Even in the park? My god dude, everyone can see you but you don't care, you just make out on the ground anyway. Like, you only live once, right?" We turned around and saw Rye looking at us, shaking his head.

"Go away Rye, you really need a girlfriend. You have too much free time to spend spying on us." Peeta said with an irritated voice. Rye snorted. "I wasn't spying on you- you're just kinda hard to miss." He said, gesturing around him. "Okay, whatever." Peeta said and helped me up. I waved to Rye and he walked away. We then walked over to a bench to sit down. We were talking for a while, until a boy came over to us.

"Hey." The boy said. He was rather long, muscly, and tanned. He had blond hair and green eyes. I looked at Peeta, maybe he knew him. Peeta just shrugged, his eyebrows raised.

The boy was looking at me. "Um.. hey." I said. "I'm Sam. What's your name?" He asked, smiling friendly. "I-I'm Katniss." I said. I was really confused, what did he want? "Hiya Katniss. Would you like to go out sometime? You seem really ni-" He was suddenly being pushed against a tree by Peeta.

"Don't you even _dare_ ask _my girlfriend_ out!" He said loudly. He looked really angry. Sam looked pretty relaxed. "Dude, it's her choice. She can go out with whoever she wants." He said and smiled at me. Did he seriously- why- what? What the? I didn't even know him! "Um, Peeta here," I gestured towards Peeta, "is my boyfriend, and I don't really know you. So um, yeah, nice meeting you, Sam."

Peeta let go and grabbed my hand. We walked away from Sam. Peeta kept looking around, glaring at him. "How dare he? Didn't he see you were with me? I mean, hello?" He said, waving his hands frantically. I laughed. "Don't worry Peeta, I love you. Don't forget that." I said. Peeta looked at me and stopped walking. He backed me up against a tree and put his hands next to my head, so I couldn't move. It was like that time at my locker.

He had the same look in his eyes. Love, lust, I don't know. He came so close our nose's were touching. "Katniss Everdeen.." He whispered unbelievably soft. I could feel his breath against my lips. "I love you _so_ much right now. You're just.." He sighed and kissed me. I tangled my hands in his hair and he was hitching my right leg up around his waist. He softly licked my lips, slowly, with the tip of his tongue, and I left out an involuntary moan. I blushed and he stopped kissing me.

He leaned back and grinned. He then whispered into my ear. "Well, I haven't ever heard you do _that_ before." I couldn't see him, but I could nearly hear him grinning. I untangled my hands and started to walk away. Just then I saw Sam and Rye sitting on a bench, laughing together. I suddenly realized what they had done.

"Oh my god, Peeta. That Sam, he's a friend of your brother's. This was your brother's idea, it was all a trick." I turned around and laughed, but Peeta just looked annoyed. "Ugh I'll get him back." he murmured. I chuckled and grabbed his hand. We then walked back to the cottage.

It was already round 4 o'clock. The day had gone so fast. I was about to make a sandwich when Peeta suddenly suggested we made a cake. Okay, I thought. "Sure, why not." I said and Peeta smiled at me. He quickly put out a bowl and got all the ingredients. We put some things in, but I wasn't really paying attention. "Peeta," I said. "Yes?" He looked at me. "You've got some flour on your cheek." I said. He rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand.

"No not there.." I said, "There." And I threw some flour into his face. I thought it was hysterical, but Peeta was just looking at me. "Seriously, Katniss?" I nodded, still grinning. He sighed. "Okay, but anyway, you get the flour, and put about this much in a bowl... " he put some flour in the bowl, "and about this much in your face!" he said and threw a whole handful of flour into my face.

He started laughing and I silently grabbed an egg. I then cracked it above his head. The egg ran all down his face and he looked hilarious. We then had a whole food fight, using all the ingredients, from flour to milk. After about half an hour, we didn't have any ingredients anymore. `We just sat on the ground in the kitchen, laughing at each other.

We were about to start cleaning up the mess, when we heard the front door open. "I'm back!" Someone yelled. It was Leo. Peeta had a mischievous look in his eyes. He stood up and snooped into the living room. When Leo walked around the corner, Peeta jumped on him. "Leo, I missed you so much when you were gone! Give me a hug, big brother!" Leo was cursing at him, trying to wiggle away. But he failed and got just as messy as us.

After a few moments Peeta stood up and gave me a high five. Leo glared at us. "You two are seriously evil." He said. "What did I do?" I asked. "Well, you didn't help me, that's just as bad as what _he_ did." He glared at Peeta again. Peeta just shrugged and grinned at him. Leo cursed some words under his breath, and walked upstairs. We were gonna pay for this one.

We then cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. We also decided to throw our 'cake' away. It insisted of some egg, flour and milk. All the other ingredients were on our clothes at the moment.

When we were done with the kitchen, we went outside and grabbed some buckets filled with water. We cleaned ourselves and soaked our clothes. We then went upstairs to change. I just put on a different pair of shorts and a black tank top. When I walked out of the bathroom, I saw Peeta had put on a red t-shirt and some shorts. We walked back downstairs and into the living room. It was already nearly 7 o'clock, so Peeta's father was making dinner.

After a while he was finished. He had made this delicious lasagna. Everyone finished it in no time. After that Peeta and I decided to start packing our bags again for tomorrow morning. We went upstairs and I grabbed all of my clothes and stuffed them into my bag. I also picked up all of my clothes that were on the floor all over the place. I was nearly finished, when Peeta held up something.

"I think this is yours." he said and handed me something. It was one of my bra's. Oh my god. I blushed a deep red and snatched it out of his hand. "Thanks.." I murmured and put it into my bag. Peeta just chuckled.

Then it was getting dark. We were all pretty sleepy so we decided to go to bed. We went down to say goodnight to everybody and then walked back up. We put on our pajamas (well, I put on his red shirt I had been using, and he was only wearing pajama pants.) I was just about to get into bed when Peeta came running out of the bathroom. "Katniss! I know how to get Rye back!" Ugh. The Mellarks were so competitive. "What do you wanna do?" I asked. He grinned. "Listen, Rye's a really deep sleeper. So I was thinking we could draw something on his face and then make a picture!" He said. He sounded really excited. ".. Okay." I said.

"But we'll have to wait half an hour, to make sure he's sleeping." He said and walked over to me slowly. He then stopped, his face an inch from mine. He whispered "So what do you want to do in the meantime?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He crawled on top of me and started kissing me. I put my legs around his waist, one hand on his chest and my other arm around his neck. He then rolled us over, so I was on top. He then suddenly pulled away and licked my lips with the tip of his tongue, like he did in the park. And again, I accidentally moaned. I loved the way he made me feel. Every time he pulled back, he left me longing for more.

After what felt like an eternity, but still not long enough, he pulled back. He smiled at me. "Right, I think we've waited half an hour." He said. I nodded and stood up. "Should I put on some shorts or something? What if he wakes up?" I asked. "Don't worry, he won't wake up. You'll be fine just like that. Now come on, let's go." He grabbed the camera and a marker, and softly hit my butt as he walked past. He looked back at me and grinned mischievously. I blushed and followed him out.

He softly closed the door as we creeped over to Leo & Rye's room. Peeta opened the door and shuffled in. Leo and Rye were both fast asleep. Peeta winked at me and then softly slapped Rye's cheek. I gasped, but Rye didn't even move. I chuckled and watched as Peeta drew a mustache. He then drew hearts and stars and a uni-brow. He then made a picture. We were about to turn around, when Peeta stopped. He went back to Rye's face and wrote '_Peeta and Katniss were here!_' on his forehead. I nearly burst out laughing.

Suddenly Leo started moving. Peeta and I both froze. Leo was then slowly turning around. We turned around and ran to the door as quick as we could. We then ran downstairs and into the kitchen. When we got in we started laughing really hard. "That was amazing!" I said and smiled. Peeta nodded and smiled too. Then someone behind us cleared his throat.

**Peeta's POV**

We turned around, fearing it would be Rye or Leo. But luckily, it was only my father. "What are you two doing, snooping around the house at this time off night?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. "We just pranked Rye!" I said, and proudly showed him the picture we took. He laughed. "How old are you now? 6?" He asked sarcastically. I shrugged.

I then saw Katniss was starting to blush. She probably just remembered she was just wearing one of my shirts. "Um, Katniss, you must be really tired, you can go upstairs already if you like." I said, winking at her. She smiled. "Okay, see you in a minute. Night, Jonathan." She then walked up the stairs.

I couldn't stop staring at her ass. My god, it was perfect. She was perfect. I was ashamed with myself for staring at her, but I couldn't help myself. I was a 16-year-old boy, it wasn't my fault.

My father caught me staring at Katniss' butt and gave me a disapproving look. "Peeta, I know your a 16-year-old, but please, don't stare at her when I can see you." He looked disgusted. I chuckled. "Sorry dad." I gave him a hug and went back upstairs.

Katniss was already lying in bed, facing the other way. I sneaked up to her and whispered "I love you" in her ear. But she had already fallen asleep. Oh. Oh well. I crawled in beside her and pulled her close. I didn't know how I was going to sleep without Katniss in my arms after this. I sighed, pushing away the thought and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. I then fell asleep myself, falling into a world full of dreams.

**Author's Note: And that was chapter 12, people! By the way, 82 REVIEWS! _82_! Like seriously, how? I love every single one of you so much at the moment! That sounds really cheesy and Peeta-ish but that's how I feel right now :D This chapter was a little shorter than the last ones, but that's because I think I had a bit of writers-block :/ But don't worry, I have enough idea's for the next chapters. Chapter 13 will be up by tomorrow or Wednesday evening. See you then! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! This chapter is pretty long, but yeah, here's chapter 13, enjoy! :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 13_

**Katniss' POV**

I woke up and stretched my arms. I then opened my eyes and saw Peeta staring at me. "Morning." I say. "Good morning." He says and gives me a short kiss. He then stands up and goes to the bathroom. I then remember that we're leaving District 10 later. It's such a shame, I was really having a good time.

I got up and put on my shorts and a green tank top. I then knocked on the bathroom door and told Peeta I'd be downstairs. I walked down the stairs and saw Peeta's father was already having breakfast. He was always up before everyone else. Must be old habit, he used to work as a baker so he probably had to get up this early everyday.

I say good morning and make a cup of tea. A few moments later Peeta comes downstairs. He says good morning and grabs a cup of tea as well. We sit down and talk for a while. Then, Rye walks into the kitchen.

I remembered what we had done last night. I was just able to hold in my laughter. Apparently Rye hadn't noticed anything, cause he just came in and sat next to us. "Good morning." He said and grabbed some coffee. I looked at Peeta to see he was also just able to hold in a laugh. Mr. Mellark was just looking the other way, probably trying to avoid eye-contact with all of us.

"Morning." Peeta said and smiled at him. Then Leo came down the stairs. He walked in and froze when he saw Rye's face. "Dude" He said and then saw what it said on Rye's forehead. He looked at us and Peeta winked at him. Leo grinned. "What?" Rye asked. "Oh, nothing, I just.. really want some coffee." He said and sat down next to me. We all talked like nothing was wrong.

Then Mr. Mellark told us we better get going soon, if we wanted to get the train on time. So we headed upstairs to grab our bags and stood outside. Rye still had everything on his face. Then everyone was ready and we walked towards the train station. When we were nearly there, two girls passed us. They stared at Rye's face and then walked on.

Rye looked at Leo. "What was with them?" He asked, clearly confused. Leo grinned. "They were just _totally_ checking us out." Rye nodded a bit hesitant. Leo winked at me. "I mean, Katniss, don't you think Rye's looks are amazing?" I tried not to laugh. I just nodded and grinned. Rye looked at both of us. "Is there something you're not telling me?" He then asked.

Leo looked at Peeta and I, unsure what to say. "Um- what do you mean?" He said. Rye shrugged. "I don't know.. nevermind." He said. We were then at the train station. The train was already there, we were just on time. We got in and I sat next to Peeta, and Rye and Leo sat opposite us. Peeta's father was sitting on one of the chairs next to ours.

Leo then said he had to go to the toilet. He got up and walked away. We all started laughing, in about two minutes he'd probably come back with a red face and angry eyes. I was right, a few moments later he came stomping back. "What the hell is this?" He yelled, pointing at his face. He was looking at me and Peeta. None of us answered. "Okay, listen shrimps. You two better watch out. I am _not_ letting you get away with this one." He said and stomped back to the bathroom to wash his face. We all started laughing hysterically again.

He came back with a red face. He was then quiet for the rest of the trip and just glared at us so now and then. Peeta, Leo and I were talking like nothing happened. After a while the train started to slow down and we were back in District 12. I looked out at the woods and realized that they were different than the woods in District 10. These woods were.. greener. I don't know how, but they were.

The train soon stopped and we all got out. Peeta held my hand and we walked towards our houses. I thanked Mr. Mellark for letting me come. "Oh, it was my pleasure, Katniss. I'm sure Peeta would have been bored silly if you didn't come, anyway." He winked at me. I then went over to Peeta. "Peeta, I'm going home to put away my bag and have an actual shower and stuff." He laughed. "Okay. Will I see you again later though?" I nodded. "Of course." I gave him a short kiss and opened my front door.

I came in, and found the house seemed different than when I left. It was like somebody had tidied up or something. I put down my bag and walked into the living room. "Prim?" I said. "No... it's me." Someone said. I ran into the kitchen to see who had intruded my house.

I found my mother sitting on a chair, having a cup of coffee. She looked at me. "Hi Katniss." She said. "What are you doing here?" I ask, glaring at her. "Katniss, you seem to forget this is my house as well." "You're never here." I say. She looks at me with sad eyes. "I've been working. Summer is a very busy period.." She murmurs. "In case you didn't notice, I haven't been home for a couple of weeks." She then says. I snort. "I've been working in District 7. There was a big accident a few weeks ago and I was helping there. But I'm back now."

The words sting. _I'm back now_. She said the same, months after my father had died. She said those words and started working, actually getting up everyday and going out. Prim was ecstatic. She thought she finally had her mother back. But then she started working more and more, until we never saw her anymore. Sometimes maybe an hour in the weekend. If that. We had lost her again. Only this time she wasn't even in the bedroom anymore, she was out there somewhere.

Sometimes I think I liked her more when she was depressed and in the bedroom. At least then Prim knew she couldn't do anything about it. But now Prim felt like it was her fault her mother was out, working all the time. She felt like her mother didn't care about her, and would rather work and not see her children for weeks. Prim even felt guilty. And I hated my mother for that.

I could just jump on my mother and yell at her for what she's done in the last four years. But I stop myself. Prim would never forgive me. Instead I turn around and walk to my bedroom. I'm just about to walk to my bedroom when my mother says something. "Where were you and Prim anyway? I was really worried."

I turn around and walk to the kitchen again, slowly. "You were worried? You were _worried_? Well, it's a bit late to be _worried_ now, isn't it? Why weren't you worried years ago, when your 12-year-old daughter was out hunting by herself, and your 8-year-old had to grow up without parents? Don't even _try_ to tell me you were worried. You weren't worried. You never were." I yell and run up the stairs.

When I slam the door I feel myself getting angry. I grab the nearest thing and throw it against the wall. I then try to calm down. _Calm down, Katniss. Think of Prim. Relax,_ I think. I then look out of the window. I see Peeta looking at me in shock. I see him and suddenly feel all the tears running down my cheeks. Peeta runs out of his bedroom, and less than a minute later, he's in my bedroom. I must have forgotten to lock the front door. He kneels down in front of me.

"Katniss, what's wrong?" He whispers, holding my head between his hands. I just look at him. He sighs and helps me up. He then drags me over to my bed. He sits down and pulls me onto his lap. I lean into his chest. His arms are around my shoulders, holding me tight. One of his hands is stroking my hair. "It's okay." He whispers.

For a few moments I just hold on to him. My head is on his chest and I listen to his heartbeat and his whispers. Then I start feeling better. He wipes my tears away with his thumb and gives me a kiss on the top of my head. "That's better. Now, do you want to tell me what's wrong?" He says.

Just then, my door opens and my mother stands in the door opening. "Oh. I-I'm, um sorry." She says and stares at Peeta. Peeta looks at me. He then lifts me off of him and stands up. He walks over to my mother and shakes her hand. "Hi, I'm Peeta Mellark. I'm Katniss' boyfriend." He says and smiles at her. My mother looks shocked.

"Peeta... M- Mellark?" She stutters. Peeta nods. My mother still looks shocked. "Uh, nice to meet you, Peeta." She tries to smile at him but fails. She then turns to me. "How long have you been dating?" "That's none of your business." I murmur but she doesn't hear it. "Well I met her a few weeks ago, but I'm not sure how long we've been dating." Peeta says. My mother nods. She then raises her eyebrows at me. I glare at her. She hasn't seen me in weeks, and now suddenly wants to know about my relationship?

"Okay, well I'll see you around Peeta. Um, say hi to your.. father.. for me.." She says and then looks away. "Will do. Nice meeting you Mrs. Everdeen." Peeta says as my mother walks down the stairs. He then closes the door and sits next to me again. "It was her wasn't it?" He asks, suddenly serious. I nod. He puts his arms around my shoulders again and pulls me close to him.

"You know miss Everdeen, if you hate her that much, you can always live with me." He whispers. I actually have to laugh at that. "I might just do that, Mellark." He grins and I kiss him. I get that feeling in the bottom of my stomach again. One of his hands tangles in my hair and his other softly pulls my back, so I'm closer to him. My arms rest around his neck. We kiss for another while until I lean back. "I have to have a shower. But will I see you in half an hour?" I ask. "Of course. My house?" I nod. "Okay, see you then." He kisses me one last time and casually walks out the room, closing the door behind him.

I get up and walk downstairs to grab the bag I had dropped in the hallway. I then go and have a shower. It was nice to have a warm, normal shower again. After a while I get out and get dressed. I put on the same clothes and braid my hair neatly. I then walk downstairs. "I'm going!" I yell. I did it out of habit, not because I thought I better let my mother know where I was.

I was about to open the front door, when I notice a letter on the doormat. It was from Gale. I glanced at the clock. I still had 10 minutes, so I decided to read it now and write one back. I opened the envelope.

_Dear Katniss,_

_Guess what, my mother didn't break her back! I was so relieved when I found out! It's severely damaged and she can't move for a week or two, but at least it's not broken._

_What have you done since I went back? I hope you were still able to have a vacation without me. I know it's hard to have fun when I'm not there *winks*._

_Anyway, this was just a small letter to let you know how I was doing. Hope you're all okay. Miss you, as always._

_Lots of love,_

_Gale._

I grabbed a piece of paper. Should I tell him I went to District 10 with Peeta? He might get jealous.. I didn't want to lie to him either, so I decided to tell him the truth.

_To Gale,_

_I'm glad your mother is okay. It would have been horrible if she had broken her back. _

_It's a shame you weren't here, we could have gone to the woods and stuff. I went to District 10 with the Mellarks for a couple of days. It was pretty fun.  
Miss you too. Give my best wishes to Hazelle. _

_- Katniss_

I put it in an envelope. I would bring it to town later. I then went to Peeta's house. I knocked on the door, and a few seconds later Peeta opened it. He kissed me and smiled. "Hi." I laughed. "Hi Peeta." He gestured for me to walk in front of him. When I walked in, he pinched my butt. Peeta kept getting cheekier and cheekier. I turned around and saw him grinning mischievously. I slapped his arm and walked in. The house was empty.

"Where is everybody?" I asked. "My Dad is in town, Leo and Rye are with their friends and I don't know where my mother is. So were alone." He said, still grinning mischievously. I laughed. "Come on, let's watch a movie or something." I said and walked over to the sofa. Peeta went into the kitchen to get some cookies and a drink. When he came back, he sat down next to me and put on a movie.

We were both a bit distracted by each other, I think. We weren't watching the movie. We were just talking. "So when is Prim coming back, anyway?" Peeta asked. "I think tomorrow." I answered. He nodded. "You know, I was thinking, maybe we could have a sleepover." He then said, grinning at me. I laughed. "Peeta, I- I don't even know what to say to that. Seriously? A sleepover?" He nods enthusiastically.

Now I think about it, it isn't _such_ a bad idea.. "I'll think about it." I say. He smiles at me and kisses me. I'm just about to put my arms on his chest when the doorbell rings. "Ugh." Peeta says and stands up. I try to hear who it is. He opens the door and I hear a familiar voice. "Hiya Peeta! How was your vacation? Katniss' Mom told me she was with you. Is she here?" Then Madge comes walking in.

"Katniss! How was your vacation?" She comes over and hugs me. "Um, it was great, I went to District 10 with Peeta." I say. She raises her eyebrows. She then grins mischievously at me. "Oh, I see.. Anyway, District 2 was so cool!" She starts telling me a whole story about what she did. Peeta just raises his eyebrows. Madge had just invited herself in and was now telling me about her holiday. Okay..

".. And then we got back home and I searched for you. But your mom said you were here so I came here." She ends her story. "So what were you two doing before I came?" Why did Madge always ask this? "Nothing.." I mumble and see Peeta grin. Madge just shakes her head. "You two..." She then starts laughing. "Anyway, do you two wanna hang out?" She then asks. I look at Peeta, and he shrugs. "Sure." I say as Peeta and I follow her out. Peeta grabs my hand and I walk in between him and Madge.

"So where are we going?" Peeta asks. "Um, let's go to the park." Madge says and I nod. We walk into town and then into the park. We sit down on a bench. Peeta tries to pull me onto his lap, but I shake my head and look at Madge. She sees us and laughs. "So what did you do in District 10?" She asks. I tell her about how we went to town, the park, and that I learned Peeta how to hunt and he learned me how to make pasta. "Oh okay, and did you have a cottage there or something?" She then asks.

I nod. Her eyes then go wide, like she just realized something. "Where did you sleep?" She asks. "In.. a.. bedroom." I say casually. Peeta chuckles. "Oh yeah, and where did you sleep?" She asks Peeta. "In a bedroom." He says, imitating me. I laugh and Madge just looks at us. "Was it the same bedroom?" I sigh. "Yes Madge, it was the same bedroom."

She looks at me in shock. "How many beds were there?" She asks. I feel myself blush and see Peeta's doing the same. "One." I whisper. Madge jumps off the bench. "Oh my god, you're sleeping together?" She yells. "Shh, Madge, not so loud, we're in the bloody park!" I say and she sits down. "And yes, we're sleeping.. together," I lean so I can whisper something, "but not like that! We only sleep!" She nods and laughs. "Okay then.."

We talk for another while and walk around the park. We then walk back to Peeta's house. We sit outside on his porch. "Okay, I better get going, my Dad doesn't even know I'm here." Madge says. "Bye Peeta! Bye Katniss!" She says and waves at us and starts walking away. She then stops. "Katniss, shouldn't you be getting home for dinner?" She asks. "No, we're having a sleepover." Peeta says and grins.

Madge looks at us both with her mouth open. She then starts laughing really hard. "Seriously? A sleepover?" She laughs even harder. "Yeah, that's what I said too." I say. "You guys are so funny. Um, have fun and yeah, think about your _safety_." She then winks at me. "Oh my god, goodbye Madge." I say and glare at her. She laughs again and walks away.

Peeta then grabs my hand and pulls me into the living room. He sits on the sofa and pulls me onto his lap. "I've been wanting to do this all day." He says and kisses me passionately. I position myself so I'm sitting on his laps, with my legs around his waist. I put one hand on his shoulder, and the other behind his head. His hands linger on my waist as he softly tries to pull me closer.

We then hear someone open the front door. Peeta pulls away. "Ugh, not again, come on." I get off his lap and sit next to him. His father then walks in. "Hi Peeta, Katniss. Peeta, I'm going to make dinner in a second." He then smiled at me. "Is Katniss staying for dinner?" He asked. Peeta nodded. "And, um, yeah, can Katniss and I have a sleepover?" Peeta's father laughed. "Um, I suppose you can. But Peeta, don't forget what I told you about the frosting." He then walked into the kitchen.

Peeta started blushing and I laughed. Half an hour later we had dinner. Apparently Leo and Rye were still at their friends' houses, so it was only Peeta, his father, and I. Peeta's father had made burgers and fries. It was delicious. We finished really quick. We then went back into the living room. "So, what do you wanna do?" Peeta asked. I shrugged. "I don't really mind." He tilted my head so he could kiss me.

We then watched a movie. It was a comedy, although neither of us found it very funny. It was filled with bad capitol-jokes. After the movie we went up to Peeta's room. I sat down on his bed and he grabbed a chair and put it across from me, sitting on it with the back between his legs. He leaned on the back of it. "How about a game of truth or dare?" He asked. "Okay. I start." He nods.

"Truth or dare?" I ask. He thinks for a moment. "Truth." I decide to ask an easy question first. "Do you love me?" I ask. He leans over to me and kisses me for a few seconds. He then pulls back. "Very, _very_ true." He grins. "Truth or dare?" "Truth." "Do you love me?" He asks. "That's not fair, that was my question! But," I give him a short kiss, "very true." He smiles.

"Truth or dare?" "Truth." He says. "Have you had many girlfriends before me?" I ask. "A few. I think three. But they all ended pretty quick, I didn't love them or anything." He says. Okay, fair enough. "Truth or dare?" He asks. "Truth." I say. "How many times and with who have you kissed?" Ugh. "Well, with you a few times, obviously, and one time with Gale. But I didn't really like it then. It wasn't like with you." I say. He nods. "Truth." He says.

Hmm. I really want to ask a question, because I know it will embarrass the hell out of him. Okay, here it goes. "Do you.. Do you ever.. think about me, and, like, about my body, in ways?" He knows what I mean and raises his eyebrows. He then blushes. "Yes." He murmurs. Okay, wow.

"Truth or dare?" He asks. Hm, time for a dare. "Dare." I say. He grins mischievously. "I.. I dare you to take off your shirt." "Peeta!" "What, you said dare.." He chuckles. Ugh. I slowly take of my tank top. I was now sitting in my shorts and my bra. I can see he's trying not to stare, but it isn't working. I fold my arms over my chest. He looks at my face and blushes again. "Truth or dare?" I ask. "I suppose.. dare." Okay, my turn.

"Peeta, I dare you to take off your shirt." He raises his eyebrows again and I nod. I was not going to lose this game. He takes of his shirt and I stare at his body. It was like he was photoshopped or something. "Katniss, my face is up here." He says, grinning, pointing at his face. "Yeah, well mine is here." I say, pointing at my face.

"Truth or dare, Katniss?" If I would say dare, he would probably make me put of my pants or bra or something. "Truth." I say. "Do you think my body looks.. hot?" He chuckles and strikes a pose, showing off his muscles. Pffft. "Yes, yes I do." I say seriously. He looks at me in amazement and then grins. "Truth or dare?" I ask. "Truth." "Am I making you all hot and bothered at the moment?" He glares at me. "Yes. Unbelievably hot and bothered Katniss, yes."

Now _I'm_ blushing. Great. "Truth or dare?" "Dare" I say. "Take off your shorts." He says. I do as he says. And when he says dare, I dare him to do the same. Then we were both sitting in our underwear. Well, I didn't expect this happening. "Truth or dare?" He asks. "Dare" "Kiss me." He says. He stands up. I knew he'd give in soon enough. I stand up and push him onto the bed. I crawl onto him and kiss him. I still can't believe that I'm kissing Peeta while we were in our underwear. And hot and bothered. He puts his hands on my waist and pulls me very close.

Then I think of something. I softly lick his lips like he did to me. He lets out a groan. "Katniss.." I chuckle. "I suppose I'm not the only one who likes it." I say and grin. "Who's talking about liking it? I _love_ it." He whispers and rolls us over. Now he's lying on top of me, holding himself up with his elbows. My arms automatically fall around his neck and pull him closer to me. I just want him to be as close as he can be.

He then grabs my waist and swiftly rolls us over, so I'm lying on top of him. His hands are still holding my waist when I lean back. "Peeta, just so you know, you're not getting lucky tonight." I whisper. He just chuckles. After kissing for a _very_ long time he leans back and sighs. "We better get some sleep or we won't even be able to get up tomorrow." _I don't really mind_, I think. But I nod.

We decide to not wear pajamas, as I don't have mine with me and I don't want Peeta to get up and look for his. He pulls the quilt over us and I snuggle into his chest. He puts his arms around me. "I love you, Katniss." He whispers. "Love you too." I say and fall asleep. My last thought is what it would be like if this happened every night.

**Author's Note: Yeah, um, this chapter is kinda long because I suddenly thought they should play truth or dare and kiss and stuff. So yeah, anyway, _WE'RE 4 REVIEWS AWAY FROM THE 100! _Like, wow, I remember that a week ago this story had 6 reviews or something :o so thank you all for that. By the way, does anyone have any ideas for Katniss' mother's name? I was thinking about Suzanne or something.. Anyway, next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Thursday-evening! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: We passed the 100 reviews. Omg. You people, I- I just love you. :) Like seriously, without you I wouldn't have finished this fanfic, might not have even gotten past chapter 1. So thank you all for that.*Applauds* By the way, some people suggested names for Katniss' mom, but I once read a fanfic, like really long ago, and her name was Suzanne and since then for me her name has been Suzanne, so I'm just gonna use that. Sorry if you don't like the name! But anyway, here's chapter 14! Starting with a short Peeta's POV.**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 14_

**Peeta's POV**

I woke up and saw Katniss was nearly lying on top of me. The quilts were on the floor and Katniss had one of her legs on top of mine. Her arms were on my chest, while my hand was on her waist. My god, I really wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning.

Suddenly someone opened the door and was walking in. "Peeta, where's my black pants?" Leo stood in the middle of the room and then saw us. Katniss had woken up because he was so loud. "Dude, did you get lucky?" He grinned at me. I grabbed my pillow and threw it at him. I then pulled the quilt over Katniss' body. I _didn't_ want Leo to have seen her nearly naked.

"Okay, okay, nevermind. I'll come back later, when your.. dressed." He says and walks out, closing the door behind him. I turn my head and see Katniss is blushing. "Morning." I say and brush her cheek with my thumb. "Sorry about that. My brother's don't know how to knock, or what privacy is." She chuckles and gives me a quick kiss. "Morning." She then says with a husky voice.

I stand up and rub my eyes. Everything seems so unrealistic. I just stepped out of bed. I wasn't wearing pajamas. Katniss was in my room. She wasn't in pajamas. We had slept in the _same_ bed. The bed in my bedroom. Aw yeah.

She gets up and quickly puts on her clothes. "Why are you rushing?" I ask a bit confused. "Did you forget? Prim's coming back today." She says with a grin. She probably couldn't wait to see her little sister again. I nod and put on some clothes as well. We go to the bathroom and do our teeth. She braids her hair. And when I think she's going to leave, she turns around. "Do you want to come with me?" She asks.

"I'd love too." I say and grab her hand.

**Katniss' POV**

He grabs my hand and we walk over to my house. I see my mother through the kitchen window. Ugh. I just wanted her to go to work again. I open the front door and let Peeta in. We walk to the living room. We sit on the sofa, and my mother comes in. "Katniss, where were you last night?" She asks. "Peeta's house." I glare at her. She looks shocked. She probably thinks we're _sleeping_ together.

"Sorry Mrs. Everdeen, it was all my idea." Peeta says and smiles at her. My mother looks at Peeta. "Just- okay." She sighs and walks back to the kitchen, closing the door. "You didn't have to say that." I say to Peeta. He shrugs. "It's okay. I'd rather have her blame me than you." He says. I brush his cheek with my hand. He was perfect.

I give him a short kiss when the doorbell rings. I jump off the sofa and run to the door. I open it to find Prim, Rue and Rue's mother standing there. "Katniss!" Prim squeals and gives me a big hug. I pat her head. "Hiya Prim. How was District 11?" I ask. "It was amazing!" She says and walks in, telling me the whole story. "Would you like to come in?" I ask Rue and her mother. "Oh, well.. Okay, why not." She smiles and they walk in. I close the door and walk back to the living room.

I walk in and see Prim is nearly in Peeta's face, telling him about District 11. Peeta just smiles at her and nods so now and then, saying something like 'Really?' and 'Wow, that's cool!'. I grin at him and give him a thumbs up. He winks and looks at Prim again. My mother then walks out of the kitchen. She walks towards Rue's mother. She looks hesitant. She has no idea who they are.

"Mom?" Prim turns around and looks shocked. My mother nods. Prim smiles at her and gives her a small hug. "Mom, this is Rue. She moved here from District 11. We've become best friends. And this is her mother," she gestures towards Rue's mother, "they took me to District 11 for a few days." My mother nods again and shakes Rue's mother's hand. "Nice to meet you." She says.

"Would you like some coffee?" My mother asks. "Oh, yes please." Rue's mother says as they walk towards the kitchen. I sit down next to Peeta and he holds my hand. Prim and Rue sit on the floor in front of us. They then tell us about their adventures, not leaving out any details. If you only heard them talking, you'd think they were twins. They kept finishing each others sentences. When they were finished, they grinned at each other.

"So what did you two do?" Prim then asked. I told her about everything. Except for the kissing and the sleeping-in-the-same-bed parts. Prim then looked at our hands. "So you two are officially dating now?" She then asks, grinning with her eyebrows raised. I blush. I don't like talking about these sorts of things with my baby sister. Peeta nods at her. Prim and Rue both get happy and clap their hands. "You two are the cutest couple ever!" Rue says.

"Aren't we?" Peeta teases. I laugh and hit his arm. Rue and Prim laugh as well. Then they go up to Prim's room to play. Peeta pulls me into his arms and says something. "Don't you just _love_ little kids? They're so adorable!" I chuckle. "I think you're going to have, like, 30 or something when you get married." He blushes and leans towards me. "Depends on how many you want." he then whispers in my ear. Oh my god, he just literally said he wanted to marry me and have children.

I feel my cheeks redden and look down. He puts his thumb under my chin and turns my head. He then kisses me. I let him kiss me for a moment and then pull away. He looks at me with hurt eyes. "Not when my mom and Rue's mom are around the corner, and Prim and Rue are upstairs." I whisper. He sighs. "Okay." He gives me one more short kiss and then leans back.

Rue then comes back down again. "Katniss, can I talk to you for a second?" She asks. "Sure, come in. What's wrong? Are you and Prim okay?" I ask, suddenly feeling worried. "Oh yes, yes, we're fine. Only, Prim told me it was her birthday in three days, so I was just wondering if we could organize a small surprise party." She smiles. That isn't such a bad idea. It would make Prim really happy.

"Okay, sounds good. Shall we keep it here?" I ask. Rue nods. "I was thinking you and I could decorate the place while Peeta goes to town with her to buy some ingredients for cookies or something." She says. Peeta nods. "It wouldn't be a big party. Just us and some of her other friends. Can we do it?" "Of course." I say and grin. This would be fun. Rue says thanks and then goes back up to Prim.

After a while Rue's mother takes Rue home and Peeta says he better get home too. I sigh. Did he have to leave? I walk outside with him and stop on my porch. He turns around. He holds my head between his hands and leans his head against mine. "I love you. Will I see you tomorrow?" He asks. "I know, you tell me often enough, and yes." He chuckles and gives me a long kiss. He then walks back to his house and I turn around.

My mother is looking at me through the window, with a concerned look on her face. She was watching Peeta and I kiss. I walk into the house and into the kitchen. Before I try to yell, she puts up her hand. "Listen. I know what you're thinking. But I'm just really concerned about your relationship with Peeta." She says. My eyes turn into slits. "What do you mean?" I ask.

"When I was you age, I fell in love with his father, Jonathan. We were just as close as you two are right now. I'm just scared that one of you will be heartbroken if the other leaves." She says. "I'd never leave Peeta. And he'd never leave me." I say and turn around. "But Katniss-" I close my bedroom door behind me and fall into a deep sleep.

_Skipping three days, it is now Prim's birthday._

"Happy Birthday Prim!" I say as I run into the living room and give her a hug. "Thanks!" She says. She's wearing a flowery dress again. Her hair is flowing down her shoulders naturally. She looks wonderful. "My little duck is 13 already.." I say and tuck her hair behind her ear. She smiles. "Prim, can you do something for me? Can you take this letter to town?" I ask. "Of course, I was going to go to get some sweets anyway." She grins. Then the doorbell goes.

It's all going according to our plan. I open the door and act surprised. "Hi Peeta, what are you doing here?" He winks at me. "Oh I was just wondering if you or Prim would like to go to town with me. I have to get some frosting for my cake." Prim walks around the corner, she heard our whole conversation. "I'll go with you Peeta, I was just about to leave." She says and walks over to us.

"Prim! Happy Birthday!" Peeta yells and twirls Prim into the air. He then puts her down and grins. "Thanks. Now let's go." She says and they walk away. "See you later Katniss!" They both yell. I wave at them and close the door. About 5 minutes later, someone knocks on the door again. I open the door and Rue walks in, holding a big bag full of balloons and decorations. "Let's do this." She says and we walk into the living room.

**Peeta's POV**

My task was to keep Prim in town for two hours. That should be easy enough. I liked my task. It was nice to talk to Prim. We were walking towards town when she asked me something. "You love Katniss, don't you?" It didn't sound like she meant it as a question, she said it matter-of-factly. I nod. "Good. Katniss needs someone like you in her life. She's been much happier since the day she met you." She says and smiles at me. It was nice to hear that.

We get into town and post her letter. I saw it was from that Gale-guy. I totally trusted Katniss, I just didn't really trust him. He seemed a bit.. I don't know. We then went to the candy shop. Prim chose some sweets and was about to pay for them, but I wouldn't let her. "Prim, it's your birthday, let me." She shook her head. "Peeta, it's fine." I quickly gave some money to the cashier. She glared at me and I laughed. She looked just like Katniss when she did that. She sighed. "Thank you Peeta." She said and gave me a quick hug.

We then walked into the local bakery. There was a wall with different types of frosting, different tastes and colors. "So what color are you looking for?" Prim asks. If we get it now, we'll be back to early, so I say a color they don't have here. "Um, I'm looking for.. a light orange." I say. She looks at the wall. "Oh. It doesn't look like they have it. I'll ask the baker if he has one inside." She says and talks to the baker. He nods and goes into the back room. He then comes back with some frosting and hands it to Prim.

Prim smiles and walks over to me. "Look, Peeta, I found the color you want." She hands me the frosting. It's a bright orange, just like I wanted. Shit. "Oh, great! But, wait a second.. I think there's artificial colors in this. I need something more.. biological. Then, the um, cake, tastes better." Prim gives me a confused look. "Oh. Okay, I'll give this back and we can look somewhere else." She walks off and I sigh. This might be harder than I thought.

We walk out again and into a different store. Again, she goes to the owner and asks for a 'non-artificial light orange frosting'. Of course, he comes back with just what we need. "Found it, Peeta!" She says and smiles. Great. "Oh, thanks Prim." I pay for it and we walk out. "Oh, Prim, I almost forgot, I also need some.. socks." _Seriously, socks?, _I think to myself. But it was the only thing I could come up with. "Socks?" She asks, laughing. "Yeah, socks. I need some warm socks, because it will be winter in no time, and I want to be prepared."

I don't know how I managed to keep a straight face. Prim nodded with a smile. "Okay, let's go look for your.. _socks_ then." She says and I follow her into a few clothes stores. Surely enough, she quickly finds the perfect, warm, socks. I end up buying them. I still need to keep her here for another half an hour or so. So I do the first thing that comes to mind.

"Ow! Ow, my ankle! Oh my god, ow ow ow, I can't walk!" I say and fall over. Prim looks shocked and bends over me. "What's wrong?" She says and tries to help me up. "I- I don't know. I suddenly fell and now my ankle hurts. I don't think I can walk." She helps me over to a bench. She softly pulls my shoe off and examines my ankle. "Hmm.. nothing seems wrong with it." She says. Oh yeah, I forgot, I'm dealing with junior-doctor Everdeen. "I think I just twisted it or something. It'll be okay." I say. She nods. We sit there for a while and talk.

After about 15 minutes I tell her I think it's okay again. She slowly helps me up and I put my foot on the ground softly. I then slowly begin to walk. "Good, it seems fine again. We can go home now." She says. "Yeah, but it still hurts a bit so we'll have to walk slowly." I say. She nods and puts one of her arms through mine. We should be home just on time.

**Katniss' POV**

Rue and I had finally finished decorating. The living room looked amazing. There were hundreds of balloons everywhere, big signs saying 'Happy Birthday Prim!' that Rue made herself, and a lot of banners and streamers. My mother had even helped blow up some balloons.

We had another half an hour before Peeta and Prim came back. Then Prim's friends knocked on the door. I let them in. There were two little girls and two boys. Rue said hi to all of them and introduced us. She told me all their names, but I couldn't really remember any of them. ".. And this is Katniss, Prim's sister." She then said. The kids smiled at me and waved. I smiled back at them and told them what the plan was. They nodded and put the presents in the living room, on the table.

We sat on the sofa for about 20 minutes. Then someone knocked on the door. The kids ran and hide. I then casually went to open the door. "Hi Prim. Have fun with Peeta?" "Yeah, we finally found his frosting and his socks." She then started to walk in. I looked at Peeta with curious eyes. Socks? He winked at me and walked in. We walked behind Prim. She opened the living room door and stepped in. "_Surprise_!" The kids yelled as they jumped from behind the sofa. Prim looked shocked. She looked at her friends and the decorations and the presents. "Oh my.. what.. wh- I-" She stuttered. "Happy Birthday Prim!" I say and give her a hug. "_Thank you_" She says softly and walks over to her friends.

They chat for a while and then we all sit on the sofa. We, as in Peeta, Rue, Prim, her friends and me. "Present time!" Rue says and hands Prim her first present. It's a photo frame, with in it a beautiful picture of Rue and Prim playing in a meadow. "Thank you Rue!" Prim says and gives her a hug. Then her other friends give her her presents. She gets bracelets, necklaces, a movie and even a pretty collar for Buttercup. Then it's time for my present. I smile and hold Peeta's hand.

"Peeta and I made you your present. It took a long time, and I hope you like it." Peeta goes into the kitchen and then comes back with a gigantic cake. It was pink and had Primroses on it. Her eyes widened. "Thank you!" She says and gives us both a hug. I then cut the cake and give everyone a slice. "Peeta, we did a pretty good job." I say when I have some. It's delicious. Peeta had done most of it, but I had helped when I could. My mother then walks in and has some cake with us. We all chat for a while. Then someone knocks on the door.

"I'll get it." I say and walk to to the front door. I open it and find a smiling Mr. Mellark. "Hi Katniss! I was just wondering if I could come in for a minute, I'd like to wish Prim a happy birthday and give her these." He says, holding up a bag of muffins. "Of course, come in." I say and let him in. We walk into the living room. My mother turns around and gasps. She stands up and walks over to us. I walk to Peeta and hold his hand. The children are still talking loudly and playing, but Peeta and I are frozen and silent, watching our parents' every move.

"Jonathan" My mother says softly. "Suzanne.. How have you been?" "Um, fine, how about you?" I nearly snort. My mother hadn't been anything near fine. "Yes, fine, fine." He says. They then stand there awkwardly. Peeta's father then turns around. "Hiya Prim, happy birthday!" Prim walks over to him and gives him a short hug. "Thanks!" "Here, these are for you." He says and hands her the bag. "Oh, my favorite, thank you!" She says and gives him another hug. He chuckles. "You're welcome Prim. Have a lovely day." Prim smiles and turns around again.

Then Peeta's father turns to my mother. "I better get going. It was nice seeing you, Suzanne." He touches her arm. My mother looks shocked. "Y- Yeah, nice seeing you too." She says and Mr. Mellark walks past her. "Bye Katniss, Peeta." He waves at us and then walks out. My mother still looks shocked. She then looks at me with wide eyes. She grabs her slice of cake and nearly runs into the kitchen. Okay..

After another few hours it gets late, so the party ends. Prim says goodbye to all of her friends, thanking them all for the presents. She then goes straight to bed. She must be really tired. Peeta grabs my hand and pulls me up to my bedroom. He closes the door behind him. "Peeta, I'd love it if you stayed here for the night but you can't." I say. He nods and grins mischievously. "Oh, I know, I just want to do one small thing I haven't done all day." He walks over to me and kisses me. I put my arms around his neck. Suddenly, his hands are on my bum. He pulls me up and I put my legs around his waist. His hands stay where they are, and for some strange reason, I don't mind at all. In fact, I like that they're there.

Peeta slowly walks over to the wall and pushes my back to it. He then pushes his body close to mine. He's nearly squashing me, but I like it. The closer the better. After a while he let's me down and pulls away. I'm instantly longing for more. "Katniss, I better go, your mum might think certain things if we stay up here too long." I understand and nod. I give him one last kiss, and he walks to the door. Before he opens it, he says something. "I'm picking you up at eight." What? What was he talking about? He sees my confused look and laughs. "We have to go to school tomorrow, remember? School, it's a place where you learn stuff." He says mockingly. "Okay, see you at eight." I say. He smiles and walks out.

I close my curtains and put on my pajamas. I untangle my braid and let my hair loose. I then lie in bed. But I have the feeling something's missing. Or, someone's missing. I missed Peeta. I had seen him five minutes ago, but I missed him. What was wrong with me? My feelings for Peeta were so weird. They were so strong, it was nearly scary. After a while I finally got to sleep, with an empty feeling in my stomach.

**Author's Note: I hope you all liked chapter 14! Now this has nothing to do with the story, but, who do you all want to be Finnick in Catching Fire? I'm really interested, I personally think Garrett Hedlund would be pretty perfect. And if he doesn't get the role, I think an unknown actor should. How about you? Anyway, next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Friday evening (actually, probably Friday cause I have a load of homework to do.) Don't forget to review! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Hi everyone, happy anniversary! Precisely two weeks ago I posted the first chapter of this story! :P Okay, um, anyway, I think some people misunderstood what Peeta and Katniss have done and what they haven't. When they were sleeping at Peeta's they _didn't _make love, okay? Just making sure you all know that. But, here's chapter 15, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 15_

**Katniss' POV**

When I wake up, my hands instantly search for Peeta's body. Then I remember he's at home, in his own bed. I sigh and get up. I didn't want to go to school. Oh well, at least I'd see Peeta again.

I have a quick shower and get dressed. I quickly braid my hair and have breakfast. "Morning Prim." I say, cornflakes falling out of my mouth. She chuckles. "Good morning Katniss." We finish our breakfast together, and then I hear a car honking. "That's Peeta!" I say and give Prim a kiss on the top of her head. "Have fun at school." I walk out of the door and see Peeta getting out of the car.

I walk over to him and he gives me a kiss. "Good morning Katniss. Sleep well?" He smiles at me. "Not really." I say. "Me neither." He says and pouts. I chuckle. "Come on, let's go to school." He opens the door for me and I sit down. A few seconds later he sits down as well and we're riding to school.

"So why didn't you sleep well?" He asks innocently. "Don't pretend like you don't know, Peeta." I say. He chuckles. "Okay, I know, but I just really wanted to hear you say it." "Say what?" "Say you love me and missed me and really wanted to sleep in the same bed as me." He grins at me and I start laughing. "I love you." I say. He nods. "I missed you last night." He nods again, now with a small smile on his face. "And I really, _really_ wanted to sleep in the same bed as you last night." I whisper into his ear.

He gives me his biggest smile. "Same." He then says. We park at school and he opens my door for me. I step out and he shuts it. He instantly grabs my hand. We walk towards school and stop at our meeting-place with Madge. A few minutes later she finally comes. We say hello and walk into school. Then we have to go to class. Peeta has a different class than us, but he walks us to ours anyway. When we're at the classroom, we stop.

"Are you coming?" Madge says. "Yeah, just give me two seconds." I say and gesture for her to go away. She grins and walks into the classroom. I then turn to Peeta. "I'll see you at our break." He says and gives me a small kiss. I nod and smile at him. The bell goes and Peeta runs to his classroom. I walk into mine and sit down next to Madge. Madge then hands me a piece of paper.

_You two are really serious, aren't you?_

What did she mean with that? It looked like she meant it as a bad thing.

_Yeah, I suppose. Why?_, I wrote underneath it. I gave it to her and she smiled at me, giving it back a few seconds later.

_Nothing, you're just really cute together. _

_Thanks.,_ I write and give it to her. She grins and puts the piece of paper away. We then try to listen to what the teacher's saying. After an hour of hearing things I'm never going to use in my life, the bell finally goes. Madge and I walk to the canteen and find Peeta sitting at our table. Peeta sees us and stands up. When we walk over to him, he gives me a short kiss. "How was your class?" He asks. I shrug. "Boring. As usual." He chuckles and eats his sandwich.

The three of us talk for a while. Then our break is over. We say goodbye to Madge, as she has class now and we have a free period. We then grab our bags and walk outside. We walk to the grass, at the back of the school. It was empty, there was nobody there. "Brilliant." Peeta whispers. "What?" I ask as we sit down. He just looks at me and puts his hands on my waist. He then leans towards me, making me lie on the grass. He lies next to me, his hands still on his waist.

"I wanna be in District 10 again and go to the park with you or something." He then murmurs. I sigh. We really didn't want to be in school at the moment. I turn around, now lying on my side. He does the same, and our faces are an inch apart. "Katniss." He then whispers. "What?" I whisper back. He looks at me seriously. "Can I kiss you?" I laugh and he grins. He doesn't wait for an answer and hooks his arms around my waist. He then pulls me on top of him.

"Peeta, just don't forget we're _at school_." He chuckles. "I'll try to not go too far." He says and winks. "We'll keep that for later." I laugh. "And why do you think we'll be hanging out later?" His smile drops and he looks shocked. "I- I thought-" "I was only kidding Peeta, don't worry. Your house?" He smiles again and nods. "My house." He then kisses me roughly, but passionate.

After a few minutes he pulls away. "You know, if you think about it, we've only been together for a few weeks now, but it's like we've been together for years. We're really close and intimate and stuff." He then looks at me and his eyes go big. "Not that I think it's a bad thing!" He grins at me. I shake my head and laugh.

We talk again until the bell goes. We sigh and he helps me up. He walks me to my class and gives me one last kiss. "See you later." He says and squeezes my hand. I nod and let go.

The rest of the day goes by in a haze. I barely notice anything the teacher's saying. When the final bell goes, I say bye to Madge and run to my locker. Peeta's already standing there, leaning against my locker. When he sees me he straightens and gives me a kiss. I get my books and we walk to the car.

We get in and drive to his house. It's a bit silent on the way there. It's weird. He then parks the car and we walk into his house. The second he closes the front door, he puts his hands on the wall beside my head. He leans his face closer to mine, until our noses are touching. "Wanna go upstairs?" He whispers and grins mischievously. "Peeta, all you wanna do is make out." I say. He looks shocked. "I do not! I.. wanted to show you, the, you know, um, my socks." I burst out laughing and he blushes. "Wow Peeta, worst excuse ever." I say and smile at him. He grins. "I'm hungry, let's eat." I say and start walking to the kitchen.

Peeta walks behind me, resting his hand on my lower-back. While we're walking, his hand slowly travels down, until it's on my bum. I look back at him and raise my eyebrows. He just looks away like nothing happened. We walk into the kitchen when he gets his hand off. We eat a sandwich, and when we're walking back to the living room I think of something.

Peeta walks in front of me, and I softly rest my hand on his bum. He stops walking and freezes. I keep my hand there, and try to keep a straight face. He looks back at me with his mouth slightly open and red cheeks. I start laughing. He glares at me. He then grabs my hands and pins me to the wall. He leans closer to me again, just like earlier. "You know," he whispers, "if you really wanted to touch my amazing butt, all you had to do was ask." He grins at me mischievously. I snort. "Oh, mighty Peeta, may I touch your 'amazing butt'?" I say with a weird, high-pitched voice. "Of course." He says and smiles. I slap his butt and walk to the living room, "Hey!" He says and walks after me.

When we open the living room door, we find something we didn't think we would. We see my mother and Peeta's father sitting at a table, having a cup of coffee. I look at Peeta and we close the door again, because they haven't noticed us and we don't want to interrupt. I then open it just a little bit. We can hear them now.

"It's just been really hard, you know." I hear my mother say. "The day my husband died, I- I just couldn't accept it. I went to my bedroom and didn't come out for months." I feel my eyes water and Peeta puts his arms around my waist and his lips on the back of my head.

"I went into this weird state, I didn't think at all. I just went to the bathroom or had some dinner so now and then. The rest of the time I'd try to sleep, or just cry myself to sleep." I hear her voice is breaking, and I know she's struggling, trying not to cry. There's a silence for a moment and I think my mother couldn't hold it any longer. We can't see anything, but we both lnow she's crying at the moment and Peeta's father is trying to comfort her.

They talk for another while. Then my mother says she has to go home. Peeta's father thanks her for coming and says that she can come whenever she wants. Then we hear her walking towards the door. Peeta and I run into the kitchen and act like we're talking. My mother walks into the hall and gasps when she sees us. "Katniss, I- I didn't know you were here." She stutters. "What are you doing here, mom?" I ask. She glares at me. "I came to have coffee with Jonathan." There's a silence. "I'll see you later." My mom then says and walks out of the house. I sigh and drag Peeta up to his bedroom.

I sit down on his bed, and he sits down next to me and pulls me into his arms. "You okay?" He asks softly. I nod and give him a kiss. He pulls me onto his lap and I immediately forget everything happening around me. He lays us down and pulls me on top of him. My hands tangle in his hair and his hands slide onto my bum. I then try and move, but because he's holding my bum it makes me grind into him. He groans and I blush. I didn't really mean to do that.

Then his cheeks go red as well and he looks at me with a weird look. He kisses me hard and I grind into him again, this time on purpose. "Ugh Katniss.." He suddenly stops kissing me and lifts me off of him. "What's wrong?" I ask as he gets up. He holds his hands in front of his private parts. "Nothing, I uh, have to pee. Give me a few minutes." He runs out of the room with red cheeks and after a few moments I realize what I had done.

I had made him get a... I... He.. Wow. I didn't realize grinding into him would do that. I feel myself blush and he walks into the room again. His cheeks are still red. He sits down next to me, a bit awkwardly. He looks at me with a serious face. "I suppose you know what just happened, don't you?" He says softly. I nod and he hides his face in his hands. I chuckle. "It's okay, Peeta, you can't really do anything about it. Plus, I've seen it happen before." I whisper the last part.

He looks at me with shocked eyes. "When?" He says. I think about that night when we were in District 10. I had gotten up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. When I looked at Peeta, I saw something in his pants. First I thought it was just a shadow or something, but then I realized what it was. I was shocked and I didn't move for 5 minutes. Then I just turned around and tried to forget it. "In District 10." I whisper. He hides his head in his hands again. "Oh my god." He says.

I grin and pull his hands away from his face. "Don't worry Peeta." I say and kiss him. His hands fall on my waist and he pushes me onto my back. He then lies down himself and pulls me on top of him again. "Now, where were we?" He whispers.

Two hours later I have to go home for dinner. He walks me home and we stop on my porch. He brushes my cheek with his thumb. "I love you so much, Katniss." He says. "Love you too." I whisper and turn around. He grabs my wrist and pulls me into his arms. He gives me one last kiss. "See you tomorrow." He says and grins. I smile and nod. He turns around and walks home. I open my front door and walk to the living room. Prim's sitting on the sofa. I say hey to her. "Where's Mom?" I ask.

Prim looks at me with disappointed eyes. "She left half an hour ago. Said she had to go to work." She says softly. I knew what this meant. We wouldn't see her again for months now. I suddenly feel angry. I go to my little sister and give her a hug. "We won't see her again for months, will we?" Prim whispers. I sigh. "I don't know Prim. Just don't expect too much." She nods and walks into the kitchen.

I make some dinner and we watch a movie together. After a while we both go to bed. The first day of school after a vacation was always very tiring. I close my curtains and get dressed. I then go straight to bed. I wonder when I'll see my mother again. It could be tomorrow, or it could be in a few months. But, I think, she'll probably come back every day so she can talk to her new friend, Mr. Mellark. '_Friend_'. I shake the thought away and go to sleep.

**Author's Note: Hi guys, sorry for the crappy, short chapter. I had no idea what to write. By the way, I was wondering, do I have to change the rating from T to M now? Or is this still okay for T? Cause I have no idea. But anyway, hope you liked it, next chapter will be up by tomorrow, and I'll try to make it better than this one! :) And don't forget to review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: Geez, 135 reviews. I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate this. By the way, junebugz21: There were also Districts before Panem had the hunger games. So if there had never been a rebellion which caused the hunger games, there would also still be district :)**

**Anyway, here's chapter 16, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 16_

**Katniss' POV**

I woke up and looked at my alarm clock. Shit, my alarm clock didn't wake me on time. Peeta was picking me up in 5 minutes. I ran out of bed and put on some clothes. I then quickly grabbed a slice of bread and said bye to Prim. I heard the car honk and opened the door. I was just on time. I walked to Peeta's car and he smiled when he saw me.

"You should put your hair down more often, you look really beautiful." He says and tucks a piece behind my ear. Oh yeah, I forgot to put it in a braid. "Thanks" I murmur and look for an elastic. I braid my hair as we ride to school.

Then we just have a normal, boring day at school. Nothing interesting happens, and before I know it the final bell goes. I say bye to Madge and walk to my locker. I grab my books and see Peeta walk towards me. "Hi." He says and grabs my waist. He then gives me a short kiss. He smiles at me. "Your house?" I nod. "My house." I close my locker and we walk to his car.

When we're in the car, he puts the radio on. I didn't even know there was a radio in here. He fiddles with the buttons for a moment and then sings along. After a while I remember the lyrics and we sing along together. We sing really loud, and people outside are staring at us with a weird look on their face. When it's finished, we both laugh. "We're mental." I say. He grins and nods.

We arrive at our houses and he parks the car. We then walk to my front door. I open it and step in. We walk into the living room. "Hm, Prim must not be home yet." I say and look at the empty house. I look at Peeta and he grins. "No Peeta, let's eat a sandwich first." He laughs. "Okay." We walk into the kitchen and make some sandwiches. Then we go to the living room again and I see a letter on the table. It's from District 4; Gale.

Peeta frowns. "What's wrong?" I say. He shrugs. "I don't know Katniss. I just don't particularly.. _like_ that Gale-guy." I roll my eyes. "He's really nice, Peeta. You should give him a chance." He just frowns again. I lean towards him and kiss his jaw. "For me?" I whisper. He looks at me and nods. "Okay. For you. But I'm not promising we'll turn into best friends or anything." I smile at him. "Thanks."

I then open the envelope and unfold the letter.

_Dear Katniss,_

_Sounds like you had fun in District 10. I hope you didn't do anything irresponsible. I might have to break Peter's neck._

_Anyway, did you know that we have a week off of school again in two weeks? I was thinking of coming over with my new friends, Finnick and Annie. They're really nice, we've been hanging out a lot lately and they'd like to see District 12. They haven't ever seen a real woods before, only on the television, because they've always lived near the sea. Can you believe that?_

_I was thinking, maybe we could all stay at your house for three or four days. We could sleep on the floor in the living room or something. I hope your okay with that. It would be like a big sleepover.  
_

_See you in two weeks. Lots of love,_

_Gale_

I put the letter on the table and frown. I was getting nervous at the idea of Gale coming with two people I've never seen. And to make it better, they were sleeping in my house. It's pretty inconsiderate of Gale. He just expects me to take them all in.

Peeta sees me frowning and looks worried. "What's wrong?" He asks. "Gale's coming in two weeks, and he's bringing two of his friends,who I've never met before." Peeta nods and chews his sandwich. "So why are you frowning? Isn't it a good thing your going to see Gale again?" He says. Maybe I shouldn't tell him Gale wanted to have a big sleepover for four days. "Oh, I don't know." I say and shrug. Peeta looks at me with a strange look and then just nods again.

We finish our sandwiches and sit on the sofa. I turn on the television and change the channel a few times. I then sit down. Peeta's hands slowly reach for my waist and then softly tug. I chuckle. It really tickles. He notices. "Oh, are we ticklish, miss Everdeen?" He says in a low voice. "No. Not at all." He then tickles my waist and I start laughing uncontrollably. I try to wiggle out of his reach but fail. I then decide there's only one thing to do.

I jump on him and he falls back on to the sofa. I lie on top of him and kiss him. His hands stop moving and rest on my waist. A second later I pull back and sit down next to him. He's still lying on his back and looks at me in shock, his mouth is slightly open. "You just used your lips as a weapon." He says. I nod. "Yep, suppose I did."

He then sits up and sits next to me. He pulls me onto his lap and rests his arms around my waist. He then suddenly starts to kiss the back of my neck slowly. It causes me to shiver. Peeta's never kissed me there before, and his lips feel nice and warm against my skin. He gives me little kisses, moving more towards my face the whole time. After a few kisses he turns my head slightly with his hand so he can kiss across my jaw. He kisses my jaw, my cheek and then reaches my mouth. Just before his lips touch mine, he pulls back.

I want him to kiss me so badly right now. "What are you doing?" I say, nearly desperate. "Just gonna watch this show." He then says and grins mischievously. "This is my payback isn't it?" He nods. "Okay." I say. I then stand up and drop a doll that was on the table. "Oops." I say and bend over. My butt is now facing Peeta, and I hear him gasp. I look back at him and see him glaring at me.

But I wasn't finish yet. I was going to make him suffer. I take my hair out of its braid and let it fall loosely on to my shoulders. I run my hands through my hair. I slowly lick my lips and then stretch my arms, causing my chest to look much bigger. I then go back to the sofa and sit next to Peeta. He doesn't look at me, and I see he's trying to focus on the television. He taps his fingers on the sofa, which makes him look really nervous. I then put my hand on his leg, right next to his crotch. He freezes and his eyes widen.

My hand goes upwards and under his shirt. I softly trace his abs with my fingers. I see Peeta bite his bottom lip and know he's nearly giving in. I lean towards him, my face an inch from his. He still doesn't look at me, but I'm sure he's dying to. I softly press my lips against his jaw. He let's out a sigh. I slowly move my lips from his jaw to his mouth. When I'm at the corner of his mouth I stop and lean back. He looks at me with pleading eyes. I get off the sofa and stand in front of him. He looks at me and I know he's giving in.

He stands up and looks at me. His face is an inch from mine. "You win." He whispers huskily and grabs my butt. He pulls me up and hitches my legs around his waist. He then leans me against a wall and pushes my back against it. He kisses me and I rest my arms around his neck. We kiss like that for a few moments until we hear Prim walk in. Peeta puts me down and turns around with red cheeks. I do the same.

Prim just stares at us with a disgusted, but amused look on her face. "Please tell me you guys aren't always that intimate." She says. Peeta looks at her with fake shock. "Of course not Prim. We're only sixteen years old. Before today all I ever did was hold her hand." He doesn't even say it sarcastically, which makes it sound like he really wanted to convince her we've never done this before. She snorts and turns around and walks to the kitchen. "Teenagers and their hormones.." We hear her murmur.

_Two weeks later._

The final bell goes. Ugh, finally, holiday again. Peeta and I walk over to his car and sit down. When we drive home, I ask Peeta something. "Peeta, Prim is having a sleepover at Rue's house tonight. Would you like to stay with me?" He looks at me and nods with a gigantic smile on his face. "I'd love too." We drive home and Peeta goes home to tell his dad he's staying at my house tonight. My plan is going perfect so far.

Twenty minutes later Peeta's back. "Shall we go to town?" I ask. He shrugs. "Okay." We walk outside and into town. We talk for a while and I try to keep Peeta distracted so he doesn't notice we're walking the wrong way. After ten minutes we finally end up at the train station. Peeta looks around and frowns. "How did we end up here? I thought we were going to town?" He asks. Then a train stops and I see Gale walk out with two people who I assume are his friends. Peeta looks at me in shock.

Before he can say anything, I'm in Gale's arms. "Catnip! It's so good to see you!" He swings me around and then puts me down. "Katniss, these are Finnick and Annie." He gestures towards the two people. The girl gives me a friendly smile and hugs me. "Hi Katniss. It's great to finally meet you, Gale's told us all about you." She then steps back. The boy, Finnick then looks at me. "Hi. I'm Finnick. Nice to meet you." He smiles and shakes my hand.

I have to admit, he looked really good. He was quite long, muscled, tanned, had white teeth and brown hair. But I still think Peeta looks at least ten times better. I smile at him and then introduce them to Peeta. "This is Peeta, my boyfriend." I say. Finnick and Annie smile and say hi to him, and Gale stares at me. "So he's officially your boyfriend now?" He asks softly so no one can hear. I nod and look down. Gale sighs. "Come on, let's go." Peeta says and we all walk towards my house.

On the walk home I talk with Annie. She's really a lovely girl. And she's one of the most friendliest people I've ever met, except for Peeta and Prim. We really click. She tells me she's been dating Finnick for about two years now. I gasp. That seems like a really long time to me. We talk a bit more. She then goes to talk with Peeta. They instantly click as well. Before I know it they're laughing and joking. Finnick comes and walks next to me.

First he's silent. He then suddenly holds out his hand. "Want a sugar cube?" He asks and grins. I laugh. "Um, no thanks, I'm fine." He shrugs and puts one in his mouth. We then talk about how we met Gale. "We're in the same classes. One day I asked him about something in class and he seemed really friendly. We talked some more and now we're buds. Aren't we Gale?" He yells. Gale turns around and grins. He puts up his thumb. Finnick also puts up his thumb.

We then arrive at my house. I open the front door and they walk into the living room and put down their bags. I show them where the kitchen and the bathroom is. We then all have some dinner, it's already 6 o'clock. We watch a movie, and everyone gets along fine. Well, except for Peeta and Gale. They don't talk to each other. They don't even look at each other. My plan wasn't really working. I suppose it will take a day or two before they start talking.

After the movie we all just sit down and talk. Annie tells us how she met Finnick, and how Gale introduced himself to her when they met. She mocks his voice and says "Oh, you must be Annie. Finnick was right, you are small." We all laugh, even Gale. Then Annie asks how long Peeta and I have been dating. I blush. Peeta holds my hand and I see Gale look away.

"A few weeks now." Peeta says. "Aaaw." Annie says. We chuckle. After another hour we decide to go to bed. The boys grab the mattresses from upstairs and drag them into the living room. Annie and I tell them how to position them. There are four mattresses and someone can also sleep on the sofa. Perfect.

We all get ready for bed. Peeta then waves me over. "What's wrong?" I ask. He blushes. "I don't have my pajamas with me." I laugh. "Just head over to your house and get them then." He nods and leaves. "Is he finally gone?" Gale says. I glare at him. "No, he'll be back in a second. And, just so you know, he's sleeping here as well tonight." Gale's eyes widen. "Why?" He asks. "I invited him." I say. "Oh, that will be fun!" Annie says. I smile at her.

"Amazing." Gale says sarcastically. I feel angry. "Gale, could you please just try and be nice? Peeta said he'd try and be nice to you. Why can't you do the same? Don't you realize I want you two to not hate each other?" I yell. Finnick and Annie are silently looking in their bags. He sighs. "Thank you." I say.

Two minutes later, Peeta comes back with a bag. "Got it?" I ask. He nods and grins. Everyone puts on their pajamas. "Okay, so who's sleeping on the sofa?" Finnick asks. I look at Annie. "I think the boys should flip a coin." She says. I nod. "Yeah, that's a good idea." Finnick shakes his head. "How about we make it more fun, we'll do some arm-wrestling." Gale and Peeta nod. Annie and I roll our eyes. Boys. Always trying to show how strong they are.

They sit down at a table. First Finnick plays against Gale. All three boys are really strong, so this could be interesting. But Finnick's older and bigger, so he has a little bit of an advantage. "Three, two, one, go!" Annie says. Finnick and Gale both push as hard as they can. Gale bites his lip and Finnick frowns. After a few moments, Finnick wins. It's now Peeta's turn against Finnick. They sit down.

A few moments after they start, Finnick wins again. Gale lasted longer than Peeta. Finnick stands up and does a little victory dance. We all laugh. Then it's Gale and Peeta. The room goes silent. "You're going down, Mellark." Gale says. So he can remember his second name but not his first? Okay.. "I don't think so Gale. And oh yeah, it's _mister_ Mellark to you." "Buuuurn!" Finnick yells and we laugh.

"Okay, three, two, one, go!" Annie says. The boys glare at each other for what seems like ages. After a while, Peeta finally wins. "Ow yeah!" He says and does a little dance like Finnick. We laugh and look at Gale. He's sitting there, glaring at Peeta. "I want a rematch." He says. Peeta grins. "Maybe tomorrow. You have a date with the sofa now, anyway." I laugh and slap Peeta's arm softly. Gale stands up and sighs. "You played well, Peter." I gasp. He actually complimented Peeta. He might have called him the wrong name, but it was a start. Peeta's eyes narrow. He then smiles. "It's Peeta, but thank you, you did too."

We all brush our teeth. We then choose on which mattresses we want to sleep. There were four next to each other, and next to the last one was the sofa. Finnick chooses the one next to the sofa. Annie chooses the one next to him, obviously. I choose the one next to Annie and Peeta has the one next to me. We all lie down. "Good night everyone." Annie says. We all say good night. I soon hear Gale, Finnick and Annie snoring. Train rides really did tire you.

After about ten minutes Peeta pokes my back. I chuckle and turn around. He pulls me closer and kisses me. "Peeta, not now, they could wake up any second." I whisper. He sighs and stops. "At least let me cuddle you." He whispers. I lean into his chest and he puts his arms around my waist. "Good night." He whispers softly, as I fall asleep.

**Author's Note: I wasn't planning on skipping two weeks but I suddenly had the idea of them all having a sleepover. So yeah. Anyway, hope you all liked the chapter. I'm not sure when the next one will be up, probably by tomorrow, but maybe even today! :) **


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: I know what you're thinking, _why is she uploading two chapters in one night?_ Well I'll tell you why, I'm obsessed with writing this story. It's just seriously my biggest hobby at the moment. So when I uploaded the last chapter, I realized I still had time to write another one. So yeah, here's chapter 17, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 17_

**Katniss' POV**

When I woke up, I saw Peeta wasn't beside me. I stretched and looked around. Finnick, Annie and Gale were still fast asleep. I got up and tiptoed to the kitchen. Peeta was making himself some tea. He looked up and saw me. He smiled and gave me a hug. "Good morning beautiful." He whispered. "Good morning." I whispered back and smiled at him. "Tea?" "Yes please." He made us both some tea and we leaned against the draining board.

"So, what are we going to do today?" Peeta asks. "I think Finnick and Annie will probably want to see the woods." I say. He nods and finishes his tea. I finish my tea too and put down my cup. Peeta pulls his hands through my hair and then puts his arms around my waist. He pulls me against him and we just stand there like that for a moment. I rest my head on his chest.

He then softly pushes my head up with his chin. I stare into his eyes. I had seen them over a thousand times in the last few weeks, but I still wasn't used to how beautiful they were. I kissed him and put my hands in his hair

"Ahum." I leaned back and we turned around. Finnick was standing in the doorway with his eyebrows raised. "You should know better than to kiss in the kitchen when you have guests." He says and grins. I stick out my tongue and we laugh. "So when are we going to have breakfast?" He asks.

Shit. I had forgotten to buy extra bread. I only had enough for two people at the moment. I looked at Peeta. "I just have to get some bread." He then says. Finnick nods and walks back into the living room. "You're the best." I say and give him a quick kiss. "I know." He says and walks out of the house, in his pajamas. My god, he was crazy.

Two minutes later he came back with three loafs of bread. "Will this be enough?" He asks. I nod and smile at him. Then Annie wakes up. She stretches. "Good morning Peeta, Katniss." We say good morning. She then looks around. "Where's Finnick?" She asks. "I'm right here." Finnick says and walks in. Annie stands up and gives him a big kiss.

"You know," Peeta says, "you should know better than to kiss in the living room when you're the guests." We laugh and Annie looks at us like we're crazy. Then Gale wakes up. "Morning." He says. "Morning." We say and he gets up. They all sit at the table as Peeta and I grab all the bread, knives, butter, jam, cheese and everything else and bring it to the living room.

We have a lovely breakfast, apparently the bread had been baked by Peeta's father the night before, so it was still nice and fresh. Even Gale compliments it. Peeta smiles at him and says thanks. We then all get dressed. It was starting to get colder outside, but it was still warm enough for a tank top and shorts. So that's what I put on. Peeta put on his blue shorts and a tight, white shirt which looked amazing on him.

Annie was wearing a beautiful summer dress and Finnick and Gale just wore shorts and a t-shirt. I then remembered something. I had promised Madge that she could come with us when we went to the woods. So we all walked to Madge's house. She opened the door and nearly fell backwards when she saw all of us. "Um, hi." She said. "Finnick, Annie, this is Madge, my best friend." I say. "That hurts, Katniss." Gale says teasingly. Finnick and Annie introduce themselves and we all walk to the woods. Luckily, Madge seems to find them nice as well and they talk.

When we get there, Finnick and Annie are astonished. "This is beautiful." Annie says and touches one of the trees. Finnick nods and does the same. "Woah." He says. We sit down in a circle and talk for a while. Madge's sitting next to Gale, and they look like they're having a good time. They both laugh. A few moments later, I think I see Gale blushing.

**Gale's POV**

Madge was really funny. I had never really spoken to her before I left, but she was really, _really_ nice. I suddenly felt my cheeks get hot. Why was I blushing? I then realized Madge had beautiful eyes. They were blue. I also realized her hair was pretty. It was a light blond, and fell perfectly on her shoulders.

Why was I thinking this and realizing all these things?

I then hit me. I liked Madge. In less than half an hour, she had made me like her. I always used to think she was a snob. Her father was the mayor, so she was really rich. But she was really friendly and funny.

I saw Peeta looking at me with his eyebrows raised. I looked at him in confusion. He glanced towards Madge and then back at me. I glared at him and shook my head. Shit, was I that easy to read?

Then Finnick stood up. "How about we play hide and seek?" He said. I chuckled, we were all so immature for our age. Peeta smirked at me. "Yeah, and let's do it with teams. I'll go with Annie, because she doesn't really know this place, and Katniss, you go with Finnick. And Gale, you can go with Madge." He grinned at me. That bloody-

"I haven't really been in here a lot, so I don't know my way round. I'll just follow you." Madge says. I smile and nod at her. Finnick and Katniss start counting from 100. "Let's go, Undersee." I say and grab her hand. She looks at me and blushes. I grin and we run away. I find a good hiding place, it's a sort of hole in the ground, behind a tree trunk with some branches on the ground to cover it. I help her in and then follow her. It's a big hole, so we have enough space to stretch our legs.

We then hear Katniss yell. "ONE HUNDRED, HERE WE COME." I chuckle. Leave it to Katniss to be that loud. I look at Madge. She was adjusting her skirt. It was a black one with a few lairs. It wasn't very long, it ended on her knees. She was also wearing a pink tank top.

I got up and sat closer to her. She looked at me with big eyes. I sat right next to her. "Like this we can talk, otherwise they might hear us." I explain in a whisper. She nods. "So how are things in District 4?" She asks. I shrug. "It's okay, I suppose. I still miss District 12 though." I say. She nods again. We then hear Peeta yell. "SHIT, HOW DID YOU FIND US?" We chuckle. They were pretty close by, I'd say they were about 30 meters from us.

She was about to say something when I heard footsteps. I pushed my finger to her mouth and she froze. We sat there, not moving, until I couldn't hear the footsteps anymore. "I think they're gone." I whisper and take my finger off her mouth. Then the branches are ripped off the ground and we see Finnick standing above us. "Found them!" He yells.

**Katniss' POV**

I heard Finnick yell that he had found them, so I told Peeta to tell me later. "But-" "Peeta, is someone dying?" "No." "Well then you can tell me later, I have a game to win." He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Okay." We ran back to Finnick, and I saw Gale helping Madge out of the hole they were hiding in.

"Okay, we found Peeta and Annie in their terrible hiding place first, so it's their turn." Finnick says. "Hey!", Peeta yelled, "it wasn't that bad!" I laughed. "Peeta, you were both standing behind one tree." Madge and Gale laughed and Peeta and Annie started counting. "Come on!" I whisper to Finnick. We run as silently as we can. "Follow me." I say. We run towards a lot trees and rocks.

"This rock is really big, shall we just hide behind this?" Finnick asks. He was nearly out of breath. I suppose he was probably a better swimmer than he was a runner. "Sure." I say and we both lie on our bellies. "ONE HUNDRED, WE'RE COMING TO GET YOU KATNISS AND FINNICK." Peeta yelled. We chuckled. It was like the fight of the couples or something. Only we were with each others partners.

About five minutes later we heard them find Gale and Madge. Then we heard them come our way. We tried to move a bit, but we couldn't without being seen. But if we stayed at this spot, we'd be seen in two seconds anyway. I grabbed a small rock and threw it into the bushes opposite where we were. "That way!" Peeta said and they walked towards the bushes. Finnick gave me a high five and we ran and hid in some bushes next to us. Like this we couldn't be seen.

About ten minutes later, they finally found us. But only by accident. Peeta had been walking along and tripped on my foot, which was sticking underneath the bush.

It was now Gale and Madge's turn. I saw Gale say something and Madge laughed and smiled at him. Wait a second, I had seen her smile like that before. That's her 'I-really-like-you' smile. She only does it when she.. well, when she really likes someone.

They started counting and we decided to hide behind Peeta and Annie. They didn't know we were right behind him. So when they were hiding behind a tree trunk, and we were hiding behind a bush, we threw a rock at Peeta's and Annie's backs. "Aah!" Annie yelled and jumped. "Found you!" Madge said and smiled. Peeta turned around and looked at our bush. He couldn't see anything, but he knew we were there.

Five minutes later Gale found us. We all walked back, and decided that Finnick and I were the winners. We walked past town and had lunch in a restaurant. We all had chips and a hamburger. I noticed Madge was sitting next to Gale again.

When we were finished, we went back to my house. "Madge, would you like to join our sleepover?" I asked. "Could I?" She asked. "Of course, it would be fun." I say. "I don't know, you guys are having a great time and I feel like I'm kinda interrupting it all." She says. "Oh come on Madge, it will be fun." Gale says. This seems to change her mind. She sighs. "Okay then. I'll go home now and grab my bag. I'll see you guys later." She says goodbye to us and walks away.

Then Peeta suggests we go to town. Finnick looks at Annie. "You can go without us, I'd like some alone-time with my girl." He says and grabs Annie's waist. She blushes and strokes his cheek. It's amazing to see how in-love they are, even after two years. It's like they just fell in love with each other again.

Gale looks at us. "Yeah, I think I'm going to have some alone-time with my girl too." He says. We all stare at him in confusion. He grabs his bag and pulls out his bow and arrow. He then hugs it. "We're going to go to the woods." We all laugh and walk out. We all go different ways, Peeta and I go to town, Gale goes to the woods and Finnick and Annie just walk in some random direction. I hope they don't get lost.

Peeta grabs my hand, and as soon as we're around the corner and Gale, Finnick and Annie are out of sight, he turns me around and kisses me. After a few moments he leans back. "I hate that I'm with you the whole time, all day, but that I can barely kiss you. It's really hard, you know." He says and smiles. "I suppose we'll just have to make up for those hours we missed." I say and kiss him again. After ten minutes we decide to walk back home. We didn't need anything in town anyway.

We get home and he sweeps me off my feet. "Peeta!" I say. He just grins at me. He walks to the sofa and then puts me down. "When will they be back?" He asks. "I dunno, in about an hour and a half or something." I say. He grins again. "Perfect." He sits next to me and kisses me. Then he pushes me back so I'm lying on the sofa. He lies on top of me and puts his arms around my waist. His hands are casually resting on my butt.

He then flips us over so I'm on top of him. His hands go from my butt down the back of my leg, to the back of my knee. Then his hands start 'exploring'. They go from my butt, past my waist, and he stops just under my breasts. He also stops kissing me. He can go on if he wants, I don't mind at all. He seems hesitant. I grab his hand and put it straight on my breast. He gasps. He then starts kissing me hardly. His hand stays where it is, and after another few moments he puts his hand back on my waist. Probably doesn't want to get too 'excited', I think.

We kiss for what feels like an eternity, but still not long enough. We hear the door open and sit straight, and pretend we're talking. Gale walks in and puts down his bow and arrow. He then looks at us. He raises his eyebrows. "Loving the red cheeks and the messy hair, guys. Hope you had fun." He says and walks into the kitchen. I look at Peeta and see his cheeks are all red and his hair is really messy. I probably look the same. Whoops.

Gale comes back in with a sandwich, and I realize he wasn't angry or jealous or anything when he saw us. Wow.

About twenty minutes later Finnick and Annie also come walking in. After what Gale said, I look at their cheeks and notice they're red. I smile. "Have a good time?" They nod. "We went to the park and into town. We didn't see you guys, where were you?" Annie says. Gale snorts. "They were here making out." I blush and Peeta looks down. Finnick walks up to Peeta. "Nice one." He says and gives him a high-five. Peeta laughs as Finnick grins at him.

Then Madge knocks on the door. I let her in and she walks in to the living room. "Hi everyone." She says. We say hi back and she looks at Peeta, Finnick, Annie, and I. She raises her eyebrows and looks at Gale. He nods and they both start laughing.

We then have dinner. Peeta and I decide to make our famous pasta. We have to make a lot, so it takes about an hour. I then lay the table and we all sit down. Peeta walks in with three gigantic bowls of it. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Mellark restaurant. Special of the day: _Pasta á la Katniss_. I laugh, remembering he said exactly the same thing in District 10. He sits down and we eat our pasta. It's much better than the last time we make it. Everyone compliments us and we thank them.

Then it starts getting dark. Peeta winks the boys over and they stand together in the corner, whispering. "What are they doing?" Annie asks. I look at Madge and we shrug. Who knows what goes on in there weird minds. A few moments later they all walk towards us and grin.

"What's wrong?" Madge asks. "We're taking you all to the woods with us. Peeta saw the perfect place today for a campfire." Gale says and Peeta nods. I look at the girls. They shrug. "Okay, let's go." I say.

We walk to the woods, and by the time we get there it's pitch black outside. Peeta shows us the place and he was right, it's perfect. There are three logs in a triangle, and a place for a campfire in the middle. The boys grab some branches and get the fire started. Madge sits down on one off the logs, and Gale sits next to her. Peeta grabs my hand and pulls me over to one of the other logs, and Finnick and Annie sit on the remaining one.

We talk for a while, and we laugh. It's really a lot of fun. "I'm cold." Madge says. She isn't wearing a jacket, only a t-shirt. Gale looks at her and takes off his jacket. He then puts it on Madge's shoulders. She looks shocked. "Th-thank y-you." She stutters. Gale smiles at her. She then puts her head on his shoulder. Now Gale looks shocked. He raises his arm and puts it around her shoulders. Finnick gives him a thumbs-up. Gale just grins back at him.

I then feel Peeta tugging at my waist. He pulls me closer and puts his arms around my shoulders. A few moments later I see Annie and Finnick with their arms around each other too.

So this was their plan. Not bad, not bad. We talk for another half an hour and then decide to go home. Peeta grabs my hand and Finnick grabs Annie's. I see Peeta looking at Gale, gesturing to him to grab Madge's. He just shakes his head and looks nervous and scared. Then Madge grabs his hand. Gale sighs.

We all walk together. Most of the walk home we say nothing and look at the woods. It looked really different than during the day. It looked a lot bigger, and more mysterious. After a while we get home. We get straight into our pajamas and get ready for bed. I then realize we're now with six people, while we have 5 sleeping places.

"Guys, how are we going to sleep? We only have 5 places." I say. Peeta looks up. "Katniss, we can sleep on the same mattress. I don't mind, really." He says and grins. We all laugh. "Well, okay. So I suppose it's Finnick's turn to sleep on the sofa tonight?" I ask. Finnick nods with a sad face. I chuckle and we walk to the living room. Finnick sleep on the sofa, and Annie sleeps on the mattress next to it. Gale sleeps on the one next to that, and Madge sleeps next to him. Then Peeta and I have the last mattress. Everybody lie's down. Then Peeta lies down and pulls me on top of him.

"Hey, hey, only because you're sleeping on the same mattress, doesn't mean you have to make love or something." Finnick jokes. I throw a pillow at him, which hits his head. He raises his eyebrows. He throws it back, and before we know it, we're all in a big pillow fight. After ten minutes we stop. "Okay guys, good night." Gale says. "Night." We all say and lie down. Peeta lies next to me, pulling me on top of him.

**Gale's POV**

I saw Peeta pull Katniss on top of him, but I didn't get mad. I didn't even get slightly jealous. All I could think of was how Madge's hair smelled like strawberries, and how she had tiny, cute hands. I looked at Madge and saw she was already looking at me. I smiled at her and she smiled back. Our faces were only inches apart, as our mattresses were next to each other. A stray piece of hair fell over her eyes. I slowly tucked it behind her ear.

She just stared at me with big, blue eyes. I stroked her cheek with my thumb and then turned around. God, what was happening to me?

**Author's Note: I don't know why, but I suddenly wanted Madge and Gale to like each other, so yeah, tadaaa. I hope you liked the chapter, next one will be up by tomorrow evening! :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: Helloooo everybody. Everyone having a nice weekend so far? :) Here's Chapter 18, enjoy! I'm starting with a short Peeta's POV.**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 18_

**Peeta's POV**

I opened my eyes. Katniss was still on top of me. I loved waking up like this. It was the best feeling in the world.

I slowly lifted her off of me and put her on my mattress. I then stretched and got up. I looked around. Where was Gale? I walked over to the kitchen and found him having a cup of coffee.

"Good morning." I say. "Morning." He has bags under his eyes. "Sleep well?" I ask. He looks at me and frowns. "Not really. Want some coffee?" I shake my head and make myself a cup of tea. "What's wrong?" I ask. He sighs. "I don't know man. It's just, I kept thinking of... Madge." I nod and pat his shoulder. "Seems like you really like her." I say. He looks up at me with pain in his eyes.

"But I can't. Can you imagine what it would be like if we both liked each other while I lived in District 4? It would be horrible. For both off us. I can't do that to her." His voice cracks half way and he whispers something. "But it's too late for me. I already like her." He looks down and sighs. I nod and drink my tea. "It'll be okay. You could make it work." I say. He looks up at me again. This time he smiles slightly. "Thanks." He softly slaps my arm and finishes his coffee.

Maybe Gale wasn't that bad. He actually seemed like quite a nice guy, now he didn't like Katniss anymore. Maybe we could turn into friends. I see Gale looking at me, and I wonder if he has the same thought.

**Katniss' POV**

I wake up and feel an empty mattress. Why did Peeta always have to wake up before me? I open my eyes and see Madge, Finnick and Annie are still asleep. Where was Gale? Oh no, I hope Gale and Peeta don't get stuck in each other. I then hear people talking in the kitchen. I sit straight and listen closely.

"_It'll be okay. You could make it work._" I hear Peeta say. "_Thanks._" Gale then says. What were they talking about? I hear them walking back into the living room, so I lie down again and pretend I didn't hear anything. I feel someone kiss the top of my head. I turn around and open my eyes. "Good morning sweetheart." Peeta's sitting next to me on the mattress. I yawn and he chuckles. "Good morning." I say. I sit up and give him a hug. I then see Gale looking at us from the table. He looks happy.

"Good morning Gale." I say. "Morning Catnip." He says and smiles at me. I stand up and walk to the table to sit next to Gale. I look at him for a moment. He has a weird look in his eyes. One I've never seen before. I then realize I've barely talked to him since he came here. "How are you?" I ask seriously. He looks at me and chuckles. "I'm okay, how about you?" I nod. "I'm fine." "Good." He says.

He then looks at me seriously. He grabs my hand. I look at Peeta and see him looking at us from the mattress. "Listen Katniss." Gale says. "I want you to know I'm happy you're with Peeta. He seems very decent and I'm just glad you're happy." He says. Well, I didn't see that coming. I smile at him. "Thanks Gale. That really means a lot to me." He grins and releases my hand.

Peeta stands up and walks over to us. He sits next to Gale. "Yeah, thanks Gale." He says and smiles at him. Gale nods. "You're welcome." Then we see Madge turn around and open her eyes sleepily. "Good morning." She says and yawns. We say good morning and she gets up. She casually sits next to Gale. He smiles at her. She blushes and looks away.

Then Annie wakes up. "Good morning everyone!" She says and smiles. How could she be that happy the moment she woke up? We say good morning and she looks at Finnick. She sighs and looks at us. "He always wakes up last. I better wake him up." She says and grins mischievously. She stands up and leans towards his face. She looks like she's going to whisper something.

"WAKE UP FINNICK!" She screams. Finnick's eyes jump open and he falls off the sofa. We all laugh and Annie grins and sits next to us. Finnick gets up and glares at Annie. "Love you." Annie says and blows him a kiss. He rolls his eyes and sits next to her. I go to the kitchen and bring out all the bread and stuff.

We have our breakfast and get dressed. "So what's on the agenda for today?" Madge asks. I shrug. "I suppose we could just all go to the park." I say. They nod. When we're just about to leave, Prim walks in. "Hi Prim, how was-" I'm interrupted by Annie running over to her. "Are you Katniss' little sister? You're _adorable_!" She says. Prim smiles at her. "Yeah, I'm Prim." She says. "I'm Annie." She says and gives her a hug. I laugh.

Prim introduces herself to Finnick as well. She then walks over to Gale. "Prim!" He says and picks her up. Prim gives him a hug and then says hi to Peeta and Madge. She walks back to me. "Now, before I was rudely interrupted by Annie," I say as she sticks out her tongue at me, "How was your sleepover at Rue's?" "It was really fun. We watched movies and played outside and stuff." She says and I nod. "Okay, well we'll be in the park if you need us." She nods and walks to the kitchen.

We leave and I notice Finnick's bringing a ball. We walk to the park and sit down on the grass. "Who's up for some football?" Finnick says. The boys nod. "Maybe in a minute or so." Madge says and I nod. The three boys start footballing and we sit down and talk. I turn to Madge. "Madge, what's going on between you and Gale?" I say and raise my eyebrows.

She blushes and looks down. "Nothing." She says and Annie snorts. "I've known Gale for a few weeks now, and I've seen the look he gives you. He never gives anyone that look." She says and I agree. Madge looks at her. "Really?" She whispers. Annie nods. "Absolutely." Madge looks down again and smiles. "Madge, you like him don't you?" I say. She looks up at me and frowns. "Well, maybe, but-" "So that's a yes." Annie says and we laugh.

A few minutes later the boys take their shirts off. They say they're getting hot, but we think it's to show off their muscles. Oh well, I didn't really care what reason they had. I loved seeing Peeta with his shirt off. I blushed at my own thought. I saw Madge look at Gale and her eyes widened. I chuckled. She looked at me and her cheeks went red.

A few moments later the boys walked over to us and sat down. "So do you want to play football with us now?" Finnick asks. Annie sighs. "Haven't you played enough already?" Finnick grins and shakes his head.

"Fine, let's make teams." Annie says. In one team, there's me, Finnick and Madge. In the other there's Gale, Annie and Peeta. We decide that the goals insist of empty cans. We start playing. First Finnick shows off and does some tricks with the ball. We all roll our eyes. He then tries to score, but Peeta stops him. Peeta runs towards the goal, and it looks like he's going to score any second.

"Peeta, I love you!" I scream. He looks my way and smiles. Madge kicks the ball and Peeta looks at me. "That's not fair, she distracted me!" He yells and I laugh. Madge passes the ball to Finnick and he scores. Gale walks over to Peeta and softly hits the back of his head. "Great work, lover boy." He says and Peeta chuckles.

Then Annie has the ball. Finnick runs over to her and gives her a hug. "Let me go Finnick, this is so not fair!" She yells while I grab the ball. Finnick let's go and Annie hits him. He laughs and I score. Woohoo! I do a victory dance, it's now 2-0. Gale then runs towards our goal with the ball. Madge tries to take it from him but fails. Gale scores and it's 2-1. Then I have the ball again. I run towards our goal and past Peeta. He runs after me and grabs my waist. He turns me around and kisses me. I forget the whole game and put my arms around his neck. Then I hear Annie yell "Oh yeah, 2-2!" Peeta leans back and grins at me. I glare at him and turn around.

If we get this goal, we win. Suddenly Gale has the ball. He runs towards our goal, and only Madge is close enough to stop him. But he runs past her. She then does something nobody expects. She slaps his bum. Gale stops running and turns around. He looks at her in shock. His mouth is open and his eyes are wide. She blushes and kicks the ball to Finnick. Finnick then scores. I walk over to Madge. "Good one Madge!" I say and give her a high-five. She's still blushing. Finnick walks over to us and grins. "What, no high-five for me? I made the winning goal!" He says. I laugh and we give him a high-five.

We then walk back to where we were sitting. We sit down. I notice Gale and Madge are missing. I look around and see them together, still standing where Madge hit Gale's bum.

**Madge's POV**

I was about to turn around and walk to our place, when Gale grabbed my wrist. He turned me around and stepped closer to me. He looked down at me, his face was inches from mine. "Did you just hit my butt?" He says. "Maybe." I say and grin at him. He chuckles and looks away. He then looks back into my eyes. His hand reaches for my face, and he brushes my cheek.

"Madge, I like you." He then whispers. His cheeks go red and I do the same. Suddenly his face is leaning towards mine. His lips touch mine and my mind explodes. His hands rest on my cheeks and after a second he pulls away. I blink. This was unreal. His hands fall off my face and he grabs one of my hands. He smiles at me. "Let's go." He says and we walk back to the others, hand in hand.

When we get there, everybody just keeps talking. They probably hadn't even noticed we were gone. I sit down and look at Katniss. She's looking at me with gigantic eyes. She then raises her eyebrows. I blush and look down. She smiles and gives me a wink. I look at Gale and see he's looking down at me. He smiles and I smile back. I then realize we're still holding hands. And apparently, Finnick notices at the same time too. He looks at us and raises his eyebrows, just like Katniss. I see Gale grin at him. Finnick gives him a thumbs-up and Gale does the same.

Then Gale looks at me again. He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. My skin burns where he touched it. What was this boy doing to me?

**Katniss' POV**

I see Gale and Madge look at each other, and I feel extremely happy for them. They looked like the happiest people on earth. You could clearly see they were going to fall deeply in love with each other. I then remember the conversation Peeta and Gale had in the kitchen. "_It'll be okay. You could make it work._" I realize what they were talking about. Peeta was talking about Gale's relationship with Madge. It would be hard when Gale goes back to District 4, but _they could make it work_.

I look up at Peeta and see him looking at Gale and Madge with a concerned look. "They'll be okay, don't worry." I whisper to him. Peeta looks at me and smiles. He kisses the top of my head. We then all decide to go home. We walk home and I grab some chairs. I put them outside and we all sit down on my porch. After a while we all get really warm. "Don't you have a sea here? Or even a lake?" Finnick says. I chuckle. "Well, there's a small lake in the woods." "Well then, what are we waiting for?" He says and goes in to grab his swimsuit.

We all laugh and follow him. It was a good idea to go swimming. "Do you even have your swimsuits with you?" I ask Finnick, Annie and Gale. They all start laughing. "Katniss, we're from District 4. We go nowhere without our swimsuits." Annie says. I laugh. We all grab our swimsuits, and luckily Madge also brought hers.

We decide to put on our swimsuits at home, under our clothes. We then walk to the woods. I show them the lake. "Well that's tiny." Finnick says. Annie nods. "Well sorry, but you're in District 12 now." I say and they laugh. We take our clothes off. Finnick and Annie jump straight in. Madge and I don't really want to go in, the water looks really cold. Gale and Peeta look at each other and nod. They then grin at us mischievously. "What are you doing?" I ask as they walk towards us slowly.

"Nothing." Gale says. I suddenly feel Peeta pick me up, and I see Gale do the same with Madge. "Gale, put me down!" I hear her yell. Gale and Peeta laugh. They then walk us over to the lake and hold us above it. "You wouldn't." I say. "Oh yes we would." They both say and drop us. We fall into the water and swim to the other side. Gale and Peeta jump in as well. Then Peeta swims over to me. "Thanks for learning me how to swim when we were in District 10." He whispers.

"You're welcome." I say and he puts his arms around my waist. He pulls me closer and I put my hands on his chest. He kisses me and I forget Finnick, Annie, Gale and Madge are with us. A few moments later he pulls back and leaves me go. We swim over to the others. Then Gale looks at Peeta. "Peeta, remember when you beat me when we were arm-wrestling? Well I'd like my rematch now." He says. Peeta looks scared. "But that's not fair. You've lived in District 4 for weeks now." I say. I better not mention Peeta only learned how to swim a few weeks ago.

"Yeah, so? Come on." Gale says and smiles. We all get out of the lake and sit at the side. Gale and Peeta swim to the other side. "Three, two, one.. swim!" Madge says. They both start swimming as fast as they can. To my surprise, Peeta swims nearly as quick as Gale. But Gale wins and does a victory dance. "In your face, Mellark!" He says and grins. Peeta chuckles. We all jump back in to the water and I swim to Peeta. "You did an amazing job." I say and he gives me a short kiss. "Thank you." He says and smiles.

I see Madge swim over to Gale. "You're a really good swimmer." She says. "Thanks." Gale says and smiles at her. Everybody just swims around a bit and talks. Then Finnick says something. "I bet I could beat all of you when it comes to swimming." Annie snorts and raises her eyebrows. "Oh I don't think so." She says. Finnick turns to her. "Are you challenging me?" He asks. "Yep." She says and smiles. Finnick turns around. "Okay, come on then." Annie smiles at me and swims over to the side. We all get sit at the side again. "Three, two, one, swim!" Madge says. They both start swimming unbelievably fast. A few seconds later Annie's at the other side. Finnick gets there a second later.

He looks at her with big eyes. She smiles. He then swims over to her and gives her a short kiss. "You're an amazing swimmer." He says and strokes her face. "Thanks." She whispers. We all jump back into the water and swim around. After a while we see the sun going down. We get out of the water and dry ourselves. We then walk back home.

When we get home, it's time for dinner. "Can we make something?" Annie asks me while holding Finnick's hand. "Sure, if you want, but you don't have too." I say. "No, we want too." She says and they walk into the kitchen. About half an hour later they come back out with six plates. They put them down. "Enjoy!" Finnick says as they sit down.

They made some fish, with some seaweed at the side and some vegetables. There was also a white sauce. I ate a bit of fish and gasped. "This is amazing!" I say, and Madge and Peeta nod. Finnick and Annie grin. "We have our own way of cooking fish." They say. We all quickly finish our plates.

After dinner we wash up. Peeta then sits down on the sofa and pulls me onto his lap. He rests his arms around my waist. Finnick and Gale do the same, and I see Madge blush again. We then decide to watch a movie. Peeta puts on a horror movie. We close all the curtains and put off the lights. It's now pitch black inside. The movie starts.

After 20 minutes, it starts getting scary. I see Madge hold Gale's hand and Annie turns a bit, so she can hide her face in Finnick's chest if she had too. Something scary happens and we jump. Peeta's arms go around my shoulders and arms and he kisses the top of my head. I rest my head against his chest. A few moments later something scary happens again, and I hear Madge yell "Oh my god!". I see Annie's hiding her face in Finnick's chest and Gale's arms are around Madge.

When the movie finally ends, Annie, Madge and I are all really scared. The film really freaked us out. We all get up and put our pajamas on. We say we can't sleep, so Peeta suggests we all play Truth or Dare. I blush, remembering when we played it together. We all sit down in a circle. Peeta lays a bottle in the middle and spins it. It stops at Annie. "Truth or dare, Annie?" He asks. She says truth. "Annie, do you sleep with Finnick?" he asks. We all gasp. Apparently we weren't going to start with easy questions or anything. She blushes and quickly nods her head. Finnick just grins.

She spins the bottle and it stops at me. I say truth. "How far have you and Peeta gone?" She asks. Oh god. I blush and look down. Peeta squeezes my hand. "We've.. made out with only our underwear on, I suppose." I whisper. "Congrats, Peeta!" Finnick says and smiles. Peeta grins and blushes. I turn the bottle and it lands on Finnick.

"Truth or dare, Finnick?" I ask. He thinks for a moment. "Truth." He then says. "Have you ever.. _pleased_ yourself while thinking of Annie?" I ask. Peeta gives me a high-five and Finnick blushes. "Yes." He whispers and Annie looks at him in shock. Finnick turns the bottle and it lands on Gale. "Truth or dare?" He asks. "Dare." Gale says. "I dare you to kiss Madge for at least twenty seconds." Finnick says. I look at Madge and see her blushing. Gale crawls over to Madge and looks at Finnick. "Start counting." He says and kisses Madge.

He puts his hands on her waist and her arms lock around his neck. After twenty seconds, Finnick starts talking again. "Three, two, one... okay, you can stop now." Madge and Gale don't stop. "Guys, really, you've done twenty seconds. You can stop now." Finnick says. "Gale, Madge!" He then yells. They pull back and look at us with bewildered eyes. Their cheeks are red and Madge pulls her arms away from his neck. Gale lets her waist go and sits next to her normally. He spins the bottle and it lands on Peeta. "Truth." Peeta says. Gale grins at Finnick and I know what he's going to ask. "Oh no." I say and Peeta looks at me confused.

"Peeta, have you ever _pleased_ yourself while thinking of Katniss?" Gale asks and everyone starts laughing. "Thanks Gale." Finnick says. Peeta's cheeks turn red. "Maybe." he says. "Oh no, Mellark, you can only say yes or no." Gale says. "Yes." Peeta says. I look at him in shock. He- I- He actually- Oh my god. There were millions of thoughts going through my mind.

Then Peeta spins the bottle, and it lands on Madge. "Truth." She says. "Madge, do you like Gale? Like, really really like?" Peeta asks. Madge goes red and whispers yes. Gale turns her head with his thumb and kisses her again. He then leans back and smiles at her. We then decide it's time for bed. We get our pajamas on and walk back to the mattresses.

"Okay, so I kinda think it's Gale's turn to sleep on the sofa tonight." Peeta says. "No it isn't, its yours!" He says. "Yes, but, you see, I'm already sharing a mattress with Katniss. So if I sleep on the sofa there will still be one person who doesn't have a mattress." He says and grins. He was right. Madge then looked at Gale. "Gale, if you want, you don't have to sleep on the sofa, we can share my mattress." She says. Gale looks at her and smiles. "Well, okay then. It's much comfier than the sofa." He says and we all lie down. Gale puts his arms around Madge's waist and she lays her head on his chest.

"Well if everyone's sleeping together..." Finnick says and stands up. He walks over to Annie's mattress and lies next to her. Peeta pulls me into his arms and I snuggle into his chest. "Good night." I whisper. He whispers good night and gives me a short kiss. My eyes close and I fall asleep.

**Author's Note: Oh my god, this story has over 150 reviews :O Like seriously, how? Thank you all so much! By the way, I just remembered that football is a total different sport in America. So to all my American readers: they were playing soccer, not American football :) Anyway, next chapter will be up by tomorrow evening! **


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: Hi! I don't really have anything to say, sooo here's chapter 19. En joy! :) Starting with Madge's POV.**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 19_

**Madge's POV**

I opened my eyes and saw Gale's face, an inch from mine. He had his arms around my waist, holding me close. I sighed. This would be the last time I'd wake up like this. His eyes fluttered open and his face went into an easy smile. "Good morning Madge." He whispered and brushed my cheek with his fingers. "Good morning." I whispered back.

He leaned in and gave me a short kiss. I froze and after a moment he pulled back. He looked sad. "I'm gonna miss you _so_ bad after today." He whispers. I nod. It was going to be horrible for both of us. I looked at the clock. We still had half an hour before we had to get up. I snuggle into his chest and his arms wrap around my shoulders. He kisses the top of my head and sighs. "What are we going to do, Madge?" He whispers. There's pain in his voice.

I look up at him. "Gale, if we both try, we can make this work. We'll send letters and ring each other. And our schools have a load of free weeks, so then we can visit each other. We'll be okay." I whisper. He looks into my eyes and smiles. "Okay." I then lean my head against his chest again. After about 10 minutes, we hear Peeta wake up. He stands up and sees us. He winks at us and walks to the kitchen.

"Why didn't we notice each other before I left?" Gale whispers. I shrug. "I just.. I don't know. I suppose I thought you were kinda with Katniss." I say. Gale frowns and then nods. After a while, everyone starts waking up and we get up as well. We get up and walk to the table. And Gale doesn't leave me out of his sight.

**Katniss' POV**

I say good morning to everyone and we have breakfast. Everyone was a bit sad today. I had only met Finnick and Annie four days ago, but we had turned into the best of friends. We finish our breakfast and get dressed. I notice Gale and Madge are holding hands whenever they can. It was hard to see them like this. They both looked like they were going to cry or something.

Then it's time. "Is everyone ready?" Peeta asked and everyone nodded. We went outside and walked to the train station. Peeta was carrying Annie's suitcase for her. The walk was a bit silent. Nobody really knew what to talk about. After 15 minutes we got there. Peeta put down Annie's bag and pulled her in for a hug. Finnick walked over to me.

"Thanks for letting us stay, Katniss." He said, his voice a bit hoarse. "You're welcome, Finnick. You can come any time. I hope you all come back soon, I had so much fun." I say and smile at him. He gives me a hug. "Oh don't worry, we'll be back in no time." He says and grins. He says goodbye and walks over to Peeta.

Annie runs over to me, and nearly jumps on me. "It was so lovely staying here Katniss! I hope we can come again soon, I'm going to miss you, Peeta and Madge so much! Here's my address, I was thinking we could write to each other." She says and hands me a piece of paper. "Of course. I'll miss you too. Come back whenever you want." I say and give her one last hug. She walks to Madge and Gale comes over to me.

"Thanks for letting us stay Catnip. I really appreciate it." He says. "Anytime, Gale. Please come back soon." I say and give him a hug. "We will." He says and gives me a kiss on the cheek. He then walks over to Madge. Finnick and Annie are waiting in front of the train and Peeta and I are standing at the wall. Peeta grabs my hand.

Gale and Madge whisper some things to each other and then kiss for a while. "Gale, we gotta go, I'm sorry." Finnick then yells. Gale gives Madge one quick hug and then walks over to the train. We all wave at them and they get in. The train leaves and we walk over to Madge. Peeta and I both hug her. She's silent.

"It'll be okay, Madge. They will be back in no time." Peeta says and strokes her hair. I nod. Madge looks up at us with teary eyes. "Oh Madge.." I say and give her another hug. Her tears fall on to her cheeks and she whispers something. "I- I think I love him, Katniss." I lean back and wipe away her tears. "Come on, let's go to Peeta's house for some cookies or something." I say and put my arm around her shoulder. She nods and we all walk to Peeta's.

On the way we try and cheer her up. After a while she's smiling again. We go to Peeta's house and he gives us some delicious cookies. We all sit down on the sofa and eat them. "Thanks guys." Madge says. "You're welcome." I say and smile. We talk for another while. Then Madge says she better go home. We say goodbye and I give her one last hug. "Don't forget, if you need me, just come here. I'll either be at home or with Peeta." I whisper and she nods. She then leaves. I walk back to the living room and sit down next to Peeta.

He pulls me onto his lap. "What's wrong?" He asks. "I'm just worried. When Madge falls in love, she falls deep. I just hope she doesn't get too upset if things don't work out." I say. "She'll be okay. Gale wouldn't leave her or anything." Peeta whispers into my ear. I nod and lay my head on Peeta's chest. He strokes my hair softly. "How about we go to the park?" He then says. I nod and we walk to the kitchen. We decide to have a picnic. Peeta grabs a basket and fills it with sandwiches, drinks, and cookies.

We walk to the park slowly, hand in hand. When we get there we search a nice quiet place and put down the blanket. I sit down and Peeta sits next to me. I cross my legs and we both have a sandwich. I then lay back, and Peeta lays next to me. He carefully pulls me onto his chest. "I love you." He says. I smile at him. "I love you too." I say and kiss him. He sits up and puts his hands on my waist. He then lies down again and pulls me on top of him.

My hands tangle in his hair and his arms try to pull me closer, which is impossible as I am already lying on top of him. After a while I lean back. He smiles at me. We sit straight again and have some cookies. After a while we've eaten everything, and we decide to go back to Peeta's house. We walk home and he puts the basket away. He then suddenly picks me up bridal-style. "Peeta! What are you doing?" I say.

He grins at me and carries me upstairs. "I've missed kissing my girlfriend." He says and opens his bedroom door with his foot. He walks in and closes the door behind him. He then walks us over to the bed and lays me down. He lies down next to me and pulls me into his arms. He kisses me and I wrap my arms around his neck. He pulls me on top of him and his hands rest on my bum.

After what feels like hours, he pulls back. "Would you like to stay here for the night?" He asks and grins mischievously. "I'd love too, but what about-" "I already told Prim this morning. She's staying at one of her friends' houses." He says and grins. I raise my eyebrows. "So you planned all of this?" I say. He nods and smiles. "So what made you think," I say and stand up, "that I would want to sleep here tonight?" I say. He glares at me. He stands up and suddenly leans me back like in all the movies. His hands are behind my back and his face is an inch from mine.

"Just a wild guess." He whispers and stares into my eyes. I kiss him and he straightens us up. He puts his hands on the back of my legs and picks them up. He hitches them around his waist and sits down on the bed. We kiss for a while until he leans back. "It's time for dinner." He says and I look at the clock. I gasp. We came back from the park at three. We had been making out for three and a half hours. Wow, new personal record.

We walk downstairs and Peeta puts a pizza in the oven. His parents were out for the night, as were his brothers. So we had the house to ourselves. After a while he took the pizza out of the oven and we ate it on the sofa. It was really good. We then watched some television. After a while we decided to go to Peeta's room. We went up and I sat on his bed. He sat on it as well, but not next to me. He sat across from me. "How about a game of truth or dare?" He then asks.

"You really love that game, don't you?" I say and he laughs. "I just have some questions I'd like to have answered." He says and winks. I have a few questions myself as well, so I say okay and we start. "Truth or dare?" He asks. He had questions, so I'd just do dare and wind him up. "Dare." I say and he glares at me. "Take your shirt off." He says and I obey. This was going to be just like last time.

"Truth or dare?" I ask and he says dare as well. I tell him to take his shirt and pants off, it was quicker. "Hey, that's not fair." He says while he takes of his shirt. "Course it is." I say and grin. It's then his turn again. "Truth or dare, my love?" He asks. If I say dare, I'll be naked in a minute, so I say truth. He narrows his eyes and thinks for a moment. "Do you.. ever.. well, you know when we make out, do you ever want to go further than kissing?" He asks. I feel myself blush. I'd love too, but I was just kinda scared. "Yes." I whisper and he nods.

"Truth or dare?" I ask. "Truth." He says and grins. "How many times and when have you pleased yourself while thinking of me?" I ask. He puts his hands over his face, but I still see his cheeks go a dark red. "Really Katniss? You really want to know?" He says and I nod. He sighs and looks down. "There was that one time after we came back from District 10. And twice in the past two weeks." He whispers. Well. Okay then. I suddenly felt very self conscious.

"Truth or dare?" He asks me and I say dare. "Pants off." He says and grins. I take my pants off and throw them in the corner. We were both sitting on the bed, facing each other, nearly naked. "Truth or dare?" I ask. "Truth." He says and I ask something I've always wondered about. "That little blue box, are there condoms in there?" I ask and point towards a tiny blue box on top of his closet. "How did you even notice that?" He asks me and I shrug. "Just answer the question, Mellark." I say.

He sighs. "Yes." So he's prepared? Why did he have those? Had he done it before? "Truth or dare?" He asks. I think for a moment. What could he possibly make me do if I said dare? Surely he wouldn't make me take my bra off. "Dare." I say and he grins mischievously. "I dare you to ask me to touch your breasts for five seconds." He says. "Peeta, that's not how this game works." I say and laugh. He shrugs and grins. "I don't care." I sigh.

"Peeta, can you touch.. my breasts for five seconds?" I say and laugh. "Oh, well, if you want." He says and crawls over to me. He clears his throat and gently rests his hands on my bra. I count to five and he crawls back to his side again. "You enjoy your five seconds?" I ask. He chuckles. "Best five seconds of my life." He jokes. "Truth or dare?" I then ask. He says truth. "Have you done the deed before?" I ask. His cheeks go red. "No. Nearly, but no." What? Nearly?

"Truth or dare?" He asks. "Truth." I say. "Am I getting you all hot and bothered?" He asks and grins. "Hey, that was my question!" I say. He shrugs. I feel my cheeks burn. "Yes. Very hot and bothered, Peeta." I say and his mouth opens slightly. Suddenly he crawls over to me and kisses me. He softly pushes me onto my back and lays on top of me.

I chuckle and lean back. "Really Peeta? Can't even wait till I say dare again?" I say and he nods. "I love you Katniss. You're beautiful and amazing and I just love you." He says and kisses me again. After a while I lean back again. "I bet you can't look at me for five minutes without kissing me." I say and chuckle. His eyes narrow.

"I accept that challenge." He says and crawls back to his own side. He then looks at the wall. Was he seriously...

Why are Mellarks so competitive? Oh well. I stand up and he turns around so that his body is facing the wall. I undo my braid and stand behind him. I rest my hands on his back. He freezes and I can see him frown. My hands rub his back a little, and then go onto his shoulders. They travel past his shoulders and onto his chest. I push my chest against his back and one of my hands draws patterns on his chest, while the other tangles in his hair.

I softly press kisses against the back of his neck. "Katniss.." I hear him moan. "This isn't fair." He says slowly. I lean towards his ear. "Oh, isn't it?" I whisper and softly brush my lips against his ear. He shivers and swallows. I then try to turn him around so he can see me, but he won't move. So I climb around him, my hands lingering on his chest the whole time, and then sit on his lap. He looks at me for a moment. I then see his eyes glance towards my chest. He looks up and stares at the ceiling.

I slowly grab his hands and rest them on my waist. He swallows again and I see him bite his lip. I lean towards him and lick his lips. He groans and his grip on my waist tightens. He's trying his best to not look at me and kiss me. I put one hand on his chest and push him onto his back gently. He lies down and looks at me with tortured eyes. I grin and sit on his lap. I then lie down on top of him as well and softly kiss his jaw. "Katniss, come on, you're torturing me." He whispers.

I then grind into him slowly. His mouth opens and he leans his head back. He closes his eyes and sighs. I grind into him again and this time he groans deeply. I grin and lick his lips with the tip of my tongue. His mouth opens slightly and he opens his eyes. "How long do I still have to ignore you to win?" He then asks. I look at the clock. "You still have two and a half minutes." I say. He sighs again. "Not worth it." He then says and grabs my waist. He pulls me closer roughly and kisses me like there's no tomorrow.

"I win." I say in between kisses. He rolls his eyes. "I don't care. Come here." He says huskily and puts his hand on my lower back. He then pulls me as close to him as he can. He kisses me again and hitches one of my legs up a bit. His other hand travels down my waist and onto my bum. My hands rest on his neck and we kiss for ages. After a while he leans back. "I love you. You know that, don't you?" He asks and looks at me with a concerned look. "Of course. You tell me every day." I say and roll my eyes. He laughs. "Okay. Come on, we better get some sleep." He says and pulls me over to the pillow side.

He pulls the quilt over us and then pulls me into his arms again. He gives me one last, long kiss, and then leans back. He puts his hands on my waist and rests his head on top of mine. "Good night, sweetheart." He says. "Good night." I say and fall asleep.

When I wake up, I still feel Peeta's warm hands on my waist. I open my eyes and see his face is an inch from mine. I smile, he looks so peaceful. I give him a soft kiss and his eyes flutter open. "Good morning." I say. He yawns. "Good morning, Katniss." He gives me a short kiss and stretches his arms. We get up and put on some clothes. We then go down to have breakfast.

Peeta gives me some cheese buns. "Thanks." I say and eat them. They're delicious. After breakfast I do my teeth and braid my hair. "What are we going to do today?" Peeta asks. I shrug. "I don't know. Let's go to my house first and then maybe hang out with Madge." I say. Peeta nods and grabs my hand. We walk over to my house. I open the door and we walk to the living room. I suddenly see my mom sitting on the sofa. "Hi Katniss, Peeta." She says.

I gasp. Peeta squeezes my hand. "Where were you?" I ask. "I was in District 5 for two weeks, there was an emergen-" "I don't care if there was an emergency, you can't just tell Prim and I you're back and then leave again for two weeks!" I yell. My mom looks down. "I'm sorry." She says. "No, mom, you aren't! You aren't sorry! So don't say you are! When will you understand you have to stop doing this? You're hurting Prim. You keep giving her hope that you'll stay and then you leave for an 'emergency' again. You should have seen the look on her face two weeks ago, mom. When I walked in and she told me you left again. She was devastated." I scream. I feel tears running down my face, and my cheeks are burning.

"Katniss, I-" "No! Just- don't say anything, okay?" I yell and run upstairs. Peeta's right behind me and closes the door. I sit down on the bed and he sits next to me and pulls me into his arms. I let myself cry and bury my face in his chest. "It's okay, Katniss. You'll be okay." Peeta whispers the whole time while he strokes and kisses my hair. After a while I can finally stop crying. I sigh and look up at him. "Thank you Peeta. Not only for today, but for being there whenever I need you. You're the best boyfriend ever." I whisper. He strokes my cheek with his thumb and smiles. "Thank you, and you're welcome." He says.

I smile and give him a short kiss. We then go downstairs, avoid the living room and go to Madge's house. We knock on her door and she opens a few moments later. "Hi guys!" She says and smiles at us. "Hi Madge, do you want to go to town with us?" I ask. "Sure, give me a second." She says and goes back in. Two minutes later she comes back. "Let's go."

We walk through town and Madge tells me that Gale called her last night. They talked for three hours. And when I ask her what they talked about, she just goes "Oh, you know, stuff." And looks at the sky with a look that screams 'I'm in love'. We go to an ice cream shop and all get an ice cream. We then sit on a bench and eat it.

"So what did you two do when I left?" Madge asks. "I stayed at Peeta's last night. We had a picnic in the park and later we had pizza for dinner." I say and smile at Peeta. He smiles back and squeezes my hand. "Oh, lovely. You did use protection, didn't you?" She says and smirks. I glare at her and slap the back of her head. She laughs and Peeta does as well.

We talk for another while and then decide to go the park. We sit on a tree when I see some boys looking over at us. "Peeta, why are they looking at us?" I whisper. He shrugs. Then one of the boys walks over to us. He smiles at us and introduces himself. "Hi, I'm Louis." He puts out his hand towards us. "Hi, um, I'm Peeta." Peeta says and carefully shakes his hand. "This is my girlfriend, Katniss, and our friend Madge." He then says and I smile at the boy.

"Nice to meet you all. Can I sit with you?" He asks. "Um, yeah, sure." Peeta says as he sits down next to Madge. "So, what are you all doing in the park?" Louis asks. "Just walking around and stuff. You?" Madge says. He grins. "Well I was just hanging out with my friends, when I saw a beautiful girl. So I walked up to her and sat next to her." He said and smiled at Madge.

Madge looked at me with wide eyes. Peeta and I chuckled. "Um, okay.." Madge said slowly. We talked for a while. Louis wasn't from this neighborhood, he lived at the other side of District 12. He then asked where we lived. "We live around the corner, and Madge lives in the biggest house in District 12." Peeta says. Louis looked at her with big eyes. "Are you Undersee's daughter?" He asks. She nods.

"Wow, pretty, funny _and_ rich!" He says and grins at her. Madge's cheeks go red and she looks at me. She mouths the word '_help_' and I laugh. This was actually quite funny. Louis then starts talking again. "Anyway, I better go. My friends are waiting for me. Here's my number, call me some time if you want to hang out." He says and hands Madge a piece of paper. "I-" She says. "Nice meeting you guys! See you later, Madge." He says and winks at her. He then turns around and walks away.

When he goes around the corner, Peeta and I burst out laughing. Madge is just holding the piece of paper in her hand and looking shocked and confused. Her mouth is slightly open and her cheeks are red. "Does he seriously think I'm going to call him?" She then says. We laugh again. She folds the piece of paper and puts it in her bag.

We then start walking back, as it's starting to get dark already. We go to Peeta's house. Madge then has an idea. "Peeta, can I use your phone?" She asks. He grins at her. "Of course, what are you planning?" "I'm calling Louis." She says and dials in his number.

The phone rings and she puts it on loudspeaker so we can all hear it. "Hello?" Someone then says. "Hi, Louis. It's Madge." Madge says. "Oh, hi Madge! How are you?" He asks. "Fine." She says. "I was asking how you felt, not how you looked!" Louis says and we can practically hear him grinning. Madge rolls her eyes and we try not to laugh. "Haha, um, what are you doing?" She says.

"Not much, just thinking about you." He says. Oh my god, he was so cheesy. Peeta and I stifle our laughter and Madge just shakes her head. "How about you?" He asks. "Not much, not much." She murmurs. "Okay then. Do you want to hang out tomorrow?" He asks. Madge looks at us. We nod at her and she sighs. "Sure, why not." "Great, I'll see you tomorrow!" He says and hangs up. Madge puts down the phone and we all laugh.

"'_Just thinking about you, Madge_.'" Peeta mocks. "Oh shut up Peeta." Madge says and laughs. Then Madge and I have to go home. We say goodbye to Madge, and as she goes around the corner, she yells something. "You're both coming with me tomorrow!" We want to yell something back, but she's already gone. Peeta then walks me home.

We stop at my porch. "Thanks for letting me stay at yours last night." I say. He puts his hands on my waist and smiles. "It was my pleasure, really." He says and gives me a kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow." He then says and turns around. I watch him walk home and then go in myself. I avoid the living room and go straight to my bedroom. I put my pajamas on and brush my teeth.

I then lie down. My life has changed so much since I met Peeta. In a good way. My eyes close and I fall into a deep sleep.

**Author's Note: Hope you all liked the chapter :) By the way, we got 174 reviews! If I could, I'd send everyone who reviewed a bag of cookies and a hug :) Next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Tuesday evening! **


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: Hi! Here's chapter 20, enjoy! :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 20_

**Katniss' POV**

I wake up to the smell of pancakes. I quickly put on some clothes and braid my hair. I then go down and find Prim in the kitchen. "Good morning Katniss. Pancake?" She says and smiles at me. She's holding a big pan and flipping some pancakes. "Good morning, and yes please. Did you make these yourself?" I ask and sit down.

"No, I helped her." I turn around and see my mother standing in the doorway. "Oh. Okay." I murmur and grab a plate. Prim gives me a pancake and my mother sits down next to me. I have a bite. "Prim, this is delicious." I say as she smiles at me. "Mom has a secret ingredient." She says and looks at our mother.

"Yeah, I learned how to make these pancakes when I was in District 7." My mother says. I nod slowly. Then someone knocks on the door. Prim goes to open it and comes back with a cheerful Peeta a few moments later. "Hi Katniss, Mrs. Everdeen." He says and gives me a kiss on the top of my head. "Hi Peeta. Would you like a pancake?" My mom asks.

Peeta looks at me for a moment. "Sure, why not." He then says and sits down. Prim gives him a plate and a pancake and we dig in. When we're finished he thanks my mom and Prim. "You're welcome Peeta." Prim says and smiles. "We'll be in the park with Madge." I say and walk towards the door.

"Okay, have fun." My mother says. I open the front door and we walk out. Why was my mother trying to be all.. motherly? Why did she make pancakes and tell me to 'have fun'? This was weird. Maybe she really was going to stay this time. I doubt it though.

When we walk around the corner, Peeta grabs my waist and gives me a long kiss. When he leans back he smiles at me. "I didn't really think you'd appreciate it if I did that in front of your mom and Prim." He says. I smile at him and we walk to Madge's house. When we knock on the front door, she opens nearly immediately.

"Hi guys!" She says and closes the door behind her. We walk to the park. "So is Louis just going to wait for us at the bench or what?" I ask. She shrugs. "I don't know. I actually hope he doesn't come." She says. I laugh. A few moments later we're at the park. We see our bench and see he's already sitting there, waiting for us. We then see him using some mouth spray.

"What does he think he's doing?" Madge says and looks at us with big eyes. We chuckle and walk towards him. "Louis!" Peeta says and waves at him. He turns around and looks at us. "Oh hey guys, I didn't know you were also gonna come.." He says and looks at Peeta and I. "Yeah, I thought it would be fun, so I invited them. Hope you don't mind." Madge says. He looks at her and smiles. "Of course not. Anyway, you must be tired, so shall we sit down?" He says and gestures for the seat.

"Um, why would I be tired?" Madge asks. "Well you've been running through my mind all day!" He says and grins. Peeta and I look away and try not to laugh. We then talk for a while. We decide to go to town. We walk past the bakery and see a beautiful big cake. It's a wedding cake. Peeta squeezes my hand and for some reason, I blush. "Oh, Madge, do you want a wedding cake like that when you get married? Cause then I might as well buy it for us now!" Louis says. Madge puts her hand on her forehead and sighs.

"Louis." She says. "Yes, angel?" He says and grins. "I'm sort of seeing someone." She says. "So?" He says and looks at her. "What do you mean 'so'? You can't keep flirting with me!" She says. Suddenly Louis grabs her face and kisses her. Madge leans back and slaps his face real hard. "How dare you!" She says and wipes her mouth. Louis puts his hand on his cheek, where Madge slapped him. It's now a dark red, Madge slapped him really hard.

"But I love you! Don't you see, we're meant to be!" He says and grins. Madge snorts and grabs my hand. "Let's go." She says and drags us away from him. "Alright Madge, I'll call you later!" He yells. We walk around the corner and start laughing. "It's not funny!" Madge says. "Sorry Madge, but it is really funny. _You're meant to be_!" I say and Peeta and I start laughing again. Madge sighs. "How am I going to tell Gale?" She says.

"Just tell him you couldn't help it. He kissed you. He should understand." Peeta says and I nod. Madge sighs. "Okay. Come on, let's go to the park again." We walk to the park and sit on the grass. We talk for a while. After an hour someone walks over to us. "Hey Madge!" We turn around and see Louis standing there. Madge sighs. "Louis, go away." She says. "No, Madge, please, can I just sit with you?" He says.

"No." Madge says and turns around. "Maaadge, come on, I've got nothing else to do here. Please?" He says. Madge sighs. "Fine. But no funny business." She says. "Of course." He says and sits next to her. We all talk for a while. Apparently Louis has two younger sisters and a little brother. His little brother is 13, like Prim, and the girls are 11 and 7. I tell him I have a little sister who's also 13 years old. "Oh, cool, we should tell them to hang out some time!" He says and grins. "Yeah, why not." I say.

I liked Louis. If he wasn't saying cheesy things to Madge, he was quite nice and funny. After another while we decided to go home. "How about we bring Prim and my brother to the park tomorrow?" Louis says. "Okay. See you tomorrow!" I say and he walks away.

"He's actually quite nice Madge." I say. She snorts. "Katniss, I'm kinda with Gale, remember?" She says. We walk towards our houses and say goodbye. Then Peeta walks me home. "Katniss, can I come with you tomorrow?" He asks. "Why, scared Louis is going to flirt with me and say cheesy things?" I joke and laugh. Peeta's cheeks go red. "Oh my god, Peeta, you actually think he's going to flirt with me, don't you?" I say. Peeta looks down.

I put my hand under his chin and force him to look into my eyes. "Peeta, I love you, and I will not leave you for Louis or whoever." I say and smile. He smiles at me and gives me a kiss. "But if you really want, sure. You can come with us." I say and he grins. "Okay. I'll pick you up at twelve." He says and kisses me one last time. He then walks home.

I go inside and search for Prim. "Prim?" I yell. "In the kitchen!" She yells back. I walk to the kitchen and sit at the table. "Prim, would you like to go to the park with me, Peeta, Louis and his little brother tomorrow?" I ask. She raises her eyebrows. "Who's Louis?" She asks. "Some guy who keeps flirting with Madge, but he's actually quite cool." I say. "Isn't Madge dating Gale?" She says.

"How do you know that?" I ask. She laughs. "I saw them the morning Gale left. They wouldn't leave each other out of their sight." She says. I nod. "But would you like too? Louis' little brother is your age so you might become friends." I say. "Okay." Prim says and I smile at her.

My mother then walks in. "What do you want for dinner?" She asks us. Did _my_ mother just suggest she cooks for us? Wow. "Um, I was going to make some potatoes and vegetables for Prim and I.." I say. "Oh. Can I help?" She asks. "Um, yeah, if you want, I suppose." I murmur and get up. I get the potatoes and my mother starts peeling them while I chop all the vegetables.

After a half an hour dinner's ready. We all sit down and eat dinner, like a real family. My mother asks us what we did today and we have quite a normal conversation. Did I convince her yesterday to stay by yelling at her? Surely that isn't it. I've yelled at her before, but she always goes back to work.

"By the way, Jonathan is coming over for dinner tomorrow night. He said he'd also bring Peeta." My mother then says. I nearly choke on my food. Of course, that was it. It wasn't me yelling or Prim being sad. It was Peeta's father who she was staying for.

I swallow my food. "Are you okay with that, Katniss?" My mom says and looks at me with concerned eyes. "Yeah. Fine." I say. "But is Mrs. Mellark okay with that? That he's staying here for dinner?" Prim asks. My mother looks at her with big eyes. "Of course, Prim, we're only friends." She says, and it sounds like she's trying to convince us a bit too hard. Prim nods and eats her vegetables.

After dinner we wash up and watch a movie together. It's like before my father died. Was this the effect Mr. Mellark had on my mother?

After the movie I went upstairs and put on my pajamas. I then looked out of my window. Peeta was sitting at his desk, drawing something. I waved at him and after a while he looked up and noticed me. He smiled at me and grabbed a new piece of paper. He wrote something on it and then turned it into a paper-airplane. I opened my window and he did the same.

A moment later an airplane flew onto my windowsill. I opened it.

_Hey, what's wrong?_

I grabbed a pen and wrote something under it.

_Did your Dad mention you're staying for dinner at my house tomorrow?_

I threw it back and Peeta read it and frowned. He held up his hand and walked out of the room. A few moments later he came back and wrote something.

_I just asked him if we were staying at your house for dinner and he was like: "Oh, yeah, sorry, forgot to tell you, but Suzanne invited us so we're eating there tomorrow." Why did your mom invite us?_

I think she likes your dad. I wrote and threw it back to him. He read it and nodded. A moment later he sent it back.

_Yeah, I think so too. And I think my dad still loves your mom after all these years. But how weird would it be if our parents were dating while we were as well?_

I was thinking exactly the same. It would be too weird. Especially if they decided to get married. Then my mother would be Mrs. Mellark. And I'd be dating a Mellark. It would just be really weird.

_What about your mom?_ I write and throw it back. He shrugs. _I think they're going to divorce soon anyway. _He writes.

_I'm sorry._ I write. For some reason I've got a feeling it's my fault. Or an Everdeen's fault, anyway.

_It's not your fault. Now get some sleep, we're going to the park again tomorrow. Good night sweetheart, love you.  
_

I smile and write _I love you too_ back. We then close our windows and curtains. I hop into bed. I wonder if Madge called Gale yet and told him someone kissed her. I hope he doesn't get angry. After all, Peeta and I told Madge to hang out with him. So it was kinda our fault. Oh well, I'd have to find out tomorrow.

The next day I woke up and felt warm. I looked outside and saw the sun beaming down. It was going to be a very hot day again today. I have a quick shower and put on some shorts and a blue tank top. A moment later I hear someone walking up the stairs and opening my door. Suddenly someone's arms are around my waist. "Good morning." Peeta whispers into my ear.

I turn around and give him a quick kiss. "Who left you in?" I ask. "Prim." He says and grins. He then closes the door and puts his arms around my waist again. He pulls me closer and looks into my eyes. "How are you feeling today?" He asks. "Fine, how about you?" "Katniss, I asked how you felt, not how you looked!" He said and laughed. "Peeta, please tell me your not going to use Louis' cheesy pick-up lines." I say and he grins.

"Maybe. Some of them are pretty good, you know." He says and I roll my eyes. He then kisses me. I wrap my arms around his neck and his hands slowly travel to my bum. After a few moments we hear Prim yell. "Katniss, stop making out with Peeta, we gotta go or we'll be too late!" I blush and Peeta laughs. He opens the door for me and slaps my bum when I walk out. We walk downstairs. "Prim, we weren't making out." I say.

She snorts. "You're the worst liar I've ever seen." She says and Peeta chuckles. I blush again and we go outside. Prim closes the door behind us. "Alright, let's go!" She says.

**Prim's POV**

We walked to the park and talked for a while. We then walked over to a bench. A boy waved at us. He looked about 16 years old, he must be Louis. We walk to the bench and the boy introduces himself. "Hi! You must be Prim. I'm Louis." He says and smiles at me. "Hi, nice to meet you." I say. "Prim, this is my little brother, Liam." He says and gestures towards a boy. I look at the boy and he smiles at me. "Hi." He says.

He's about the same height as me, just a little bit longer, has curly hair, a bit like Peeta's hair but brown, and bright green eyes. "Hi." I say and smile at him. "Shall we sit down?" He asks and gestures to the bench. I nod and sit down. He sits down right next to me. "So, how are you?" He asks and grins. "I'm fine thanks, you?" "Yeah, fine." He says and nods. I see Peeta, Katniss and Louis are talking and aren't even looking at us.

"So what do you like to do?" He asks. "Um, I like going outside and playing with my friends. I also like to play with my cat, Buttercup." I say. He smiles. "You have a cat? Me too! Mine's called called Nuts. She's a bit crazy." He says and then tells me a story about how Nuts once ruined the whole house. I laugh and tell him about Buttercup. "He's quite old, and I found him on the streets."

"That's very sweet of you, to bring him in after you found him." He says and smiles. I blush. Why was I blushing? "Thanks. I couldn't just leave him there. He had a broken paw and everything. Luckily I was able to fix it for him." I say. He looks at me with big eyes. "You're a vet?" He asks. I laugh. "No, not really. But my mother works in a hospital and I kinda learned everything she knows. So I know how to fix things and stuff." I say and he nods.

"Could I bring Nuts to your house sometime? I think there's something with her back paw, she's limping a bit." He asks. "Sure, you can bring her tomorrow if you want." I say. He smiles. "Thanks. Do you want to get an ice cream?" He asks. I look at Katniss. She doesn't look like she'd mind. "Okay." I say and we stand up.

We walk to the ice cream shop and talk all the way. Liam was really friendly and funny. When we get to the ice cream shop, he asks me what my favorite ice cream is. "Chocolate. Definitely chocolate." I say and grin. "Mine too. There's nothing better than chocolate." He says and I nod. We both get a chocolate ice cream and sit on a bench outside. It's quite a big bench, but Liam decides to sit right next to me.

"So where do you live? It would be handy if I know your address if I'm coming over tomorrow." He says and smiles. I chuckle and tell him where I live. "How about you?" I ask. "I live at the other side of District 12." He says and tells me where exactly. He lived quite far away. It would be half an hour on the bike to get from my house to his. "Then why does your brother always come to this park?" I ask.

He shrugs. "I don't know. He says he likes it here. And it's only 10 minutes in the car anyway." He says. I nod and finish my ice cream, and he does the same. He then looks at me and smiles at me. "What?" I ask, feeling self conscious. "Oh, nothing. You just have really bright eyes." He says and smiles at me again. I nearly gasp. I feel my cheeks burn and look down. "Thank you." I murmur.

"Shall we go back?" He asks and I nod. I stand up and he rests his hand on my lower back for a few seconds. We then walk to the park. When we get back, Katniss jumps off the bench. "Prim, where were you? You were suddenly gone, I thought you'd been kidnapped or something, I was really worried!" She says.

"We went to the ice cream shop. I'm sorry, it was my idea." Liam said and smiled at her. Katniss sighed. "It's okay. Just tell me next time." She said and sat down again. We sat down as well and talked again. "So what's your favorite color?" Liam asks. I think for a second. "I think a dark pink. You know, nearly red." I say and he nods. "How about you?" I ask. He looks down for a moment, and then looks into my eyes. "It used to be yellow, but I think it's bright blue now." He says and his cheeks go a faint red.

I nod. Bright blue was nice. Then Katniss stands up. "Anyway, we better get going. See you soon, Louis. Nice meeting you, Liam." She says as Peeta stands up. I turn to Liam. "I'll see you tomorrow, Prim." He says and smiles at me. I nod and smile at him. "Bye Liam." I say and walk away with Katniss and Peeta.

"So, is he nice?" Peeta asks. "Yeah, he's really friendly." I say. Peeta nods. We then walk home. On the walk home I think about my conversation with Liam. Suddenly I realize why his cheeks went red when he said he liked bright blue. He was talking about my eyes. My eyes were bright blue, he had said so himself.

"Are you coming, little duck? What's wrong?" I look up and see Peeta and Katniss standing a few meters in front of me with a worried look on their faces. I realize I had stopped walking and was now standing here with my mouth open. "Y- Yeah, I'm bright. Fine, I mean, I'm fine." I say and walk again. Katniss looks at Peeta and he shrugs. We then all walk home again. I walk upstairs and go straight to my room.

**Katniss' POV**

Prim went straight up to her room. What was wrong with her? Usually she'd stay in the living room and talk with us for a while. Oh well, Peeta didn't mind, the second she closed the living room door he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. After a few moments I lean back and chuckle. "Peeta, somebody could come in any second." I say.

He frowns. He then picks me up bridal-style again. "Peeta!" I yell and he grins at me. He opens the living room door and carries me upstairs. I'm lucky my mother wasn't in the kitchen, or she would have seen us. He opens my bedroom door and closes it again behind him. He carries me over to my bed and lies me down. He then lies down on top of me. He kisses me and puts his hands on my waist. He then swiftly rolls us over so I'm on top of him.

We kiss and I put my hands on his chest. His hands rest on my butt. I then softly nibble his bottom lip. He groans and softly pinches my butt. I chuckle and we kiss for another while. Then it starts getting dark outside. He sighs and gently lifts me off of him. "I have to go." He says. I laugh. "No you don't, you're having dinner here, remember?" I say. He looks at me and his eyes light up.

"Oh yeah." He says and gives me a short kiss. He then grabs my hand. "Well, let's go down for dinner then." He says and grins. We stand up and walk downstairs. I find my mother in the kitchen. It looks like she's busy making dinner. "Do you need some help, Mrs. Everdeen?" Peeta asks. My mom looks up and slightly smiles at him. "Oh, no, thank you Peeta, I'm fine. Anyway, you're one of the guests so you can't cook!" She says. "Okay." Peeta says and we turn around.

Before we walk out of the kitchen, I notice my mother's wearing a skirt and a new t-shirt. _A skirt_. Wow. My mother never wore skirts, only on special occasions. And when did she get the new t-shirt? I then remember she wasn't home this morning.

We walk into the living room, and a few moments later someone knocks on the door. "Oh, that will be Jonathan!" I hear my mother say. She nearly runs to the door and clears her throat. She then opens the door. "Hi Jonathan, come in. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." She says. "Thanks Suzanne." We hear him say. He then walks into the living room. I notice he's wearing a bow tie.

Peeta laughs. "No way, dad, please tell me you aren't wearing a bow tie!" He says and laughs again. His father blushes and puts down the bottle of wine he brought with him. "Shut up, Peeta." He says and brings the bottle to my mother. He then comes back in and sits down. "So, how are you Katniss?" He asks. "I'm fine, thanks." I say. Then my mother comes in with some plates. I call Prim down and we all sit at the table.

My mother puts down the plates and I gasp. There's some meat, vegetables, potatoes and some more stuff. It all looked delicious. "Mom, did you make this all by yourself?" I ask. "Yes, but I did read some cookbooks first." She says and smiles. Wow, I haven't seen her smile in a while either. She sits down and pours some wine for herself and Mr. Mellark.

We all dig in. "This is lovely, Suzanne." Mr. Mellark says, and Peeta nods. My mother _blushes_. "Thank you, Jonathan." She says and has a sip of her wine. We all talk for a while and I notice Prim isn't saying anything. I look at her plate and see she's barely eaten anything either. 'What's wrong Prim?" I ask. She looks up at me with bewildered eyes, like I just woke her up from a dream. "Oh, nothing, I'm just not really hungry." She says. "Okay, well try and eat something anyway, it's really nice." I say and she just nods.

After a while everyone's finished. "Oh, Suzanne, I brought dessert." Mr. Mellark says and pulls out a big box from his bag. He opens it and I see a big cake. "Oh, how thoughtful, thank you." My mother says and grabs a big knife to slice it with. She slices it into five equal slices and gives everyone a piece. "Dad, did you use my special frosting from the capitol?" Peeta asks and glares at him. Mr. Mellark chuckles. "Yeah, sorry son. I'll order you some more tomorrow." Peeta just rolls his eyes and eats his cake.

When everyone's finished, Mr. Mellark and my mother go to the kitchen and chat. Prim goes to her bedroom again and Peeta drags me over to the sofa. He puts on the television and pulls me onto his lap. We watch a program for half an hour, until his father walks in again. "Peeta, it's time to go home. Nice seeing you Katniss." He says and winks at me. Peeta lifts me off his lap and pulls me in for one last kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow." He says and smiles at me.

He then stands up and walks to the hallway. I follow him. My mother says goodbye to Mr. Mellark. "Thanks for having us, Suzanne." He says. "Oh, it was my pleasure." She says and smiles. They walk out and I wave at them. Then my mother closes the front door and sighs. "Mom, please don't tell me you like Mr. Mellark." I say. She looks at me with shocked eyes. "Me? Like Jonathan? Of course not!" She says.

"I know who I got my lying skills from.." I murmur and walk upstairs. I close the curtains and put on my pajamas. I take my hair out of it's braid and lie down. I never asked Madge if she called Gale. I'd have to find out tomorrow. I yawn and turn of the lights. I then fall asleep nearly the second my head hits the pillow.

**Author's Note: PARTY TIME! THE STORY HAS 200 REVIEWS! :D Thank you all soooooooo much. Like seriously, you're the best people ever. And how cool is it that at chapter 20 we got 200 reviews? Next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Wednesday evening! :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: Hi! I don't know, have some of you been wondering what Louis looks like? I just realized I didn't really tell you what he looks like. So, he's about as long as Peeta, has brown curly hair and green eyes like his little brother Liam, he's a bit muscly, and has a lovely big smile. So yeah, as you can see I'm not good at describing people. But anyway, here's chapter 21, enjoy! :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 21_

**Katniss' POV**

I woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. Was my mother cooking again? I would of thought she'd stop after yesterday night. I put on some clothes and walked downstairs. As I suspected, my mother was in the kitchen. "Good morning Katniss!" She said and smiled at me. Well this was also a first. She never said 'good morning' and she didn't really smile a lot either. I say good morning and walk over to her to see what she's making.

"Want some eggs and bacon?" She asks. "Yes please." I murmur and grab a plate. I still wasn't used to my mother being this friendly. She puts some on my plate and I sit down and eat. "Where's Prim?" I ask. "Oh, she's in her bedroom, trying to decide if she should braid her hair or let it loose." She says and _chuckles_. I nod. A few moments later Prim comes to the kitchen, and apparently she chose to let her hair loose.

"Good morning little duck." I say and give her a hug. She says good morning and smiles. She then grabs some bacon and an egg. She sits down and we all talk. "Liam is coming over today. He's bringing his cat, Nuts." Prim then says and bites her lip. "Who's Liam?" My mom asks and I tell her who Louis and Liam are. She nods. "So is Liam friendly?" I ask. Prim smiles at me and nods.

Then someone knocks on the door. I go to the front door and open it. The second I open it, I feel arms around my waist, pulling me closer. I look up and see Peeta grinning at me. "Good morning beautiful." He says and gives me a quick kiss. "Good morning." I say and smile at him. He walks in and I wash my plate. He says good morning to my mother and Prim. "Morning Peeta!" Prim says and smiles at him. "I love your dress, Prim." He says. I now notice she's wearing her favorite, the one with the primroses on it.

"Thank you. It's my favorite, you know." She says and smiles. She then walks in to the living room and looks for Buttercup. "So what do you want to do today?" I ask. "I was thinking maybe we could chill at Madge's house. I was watching a show yesterday, it was called _Panem's richest_. Mayor Undersee was in the top 50, and they said he had a big arcade room." He says and grins. "Why were you watching the capitol channel?" I ask and laugh. He shrugs. "But anyway, Madge probably wouldn't mind hanging out at her place for a day." He says. He had a point. I wouldn't mind seeing that big arcade room. "Okay, let's go." I say and grab his hand.

**Prim's POV**

"We'll be at Madge's house, see you later Prim! Have fun with Liam!" Katniss yells and walks out through the front door. I sit down at the table and wonder when Liam will come. If he comes. What if he doesn't come? What if he actually-

Someone knocks on the front door. I run and clear my throat, like my mother always does. I open the door and see Liam and Louis standing there. If Liam was longer, you'd think they were twins. "Hi Prim. I'm just dropping Liam off." Louis says and smiles at me. "Is Katniss there?" He asks and looks behind me. "No, I'm sorry, Peeta and Katniss just left. I think they're going to Madge's house." I say. His eyes twinkle. "Madge's house, you say? Okay, thanks." He says. He then turns to Liam.

"Liam, I'll pick you up later. I'll probably be at Madge's house if you need me. Have fun with Prim." He says and grins. Liam gives him a high-five and we wave at Louis as he walks back to his car. Then Liam turns to me. "Hi Prim." He says and smiles at me. "Hi Liam. Come in." I say and gesture for him to walk in front of me. I notice he's holding a big box. He walks in and I close the door.

"I love your dress." He says and turns his head to grin at me. "Th-thank you." I stutter and lead him to the living room. He puts the box on the table. He then opens it and pulls out a red cat. "Prim, meet Nuts." He says and puts the cat down. Nuts looks at me and then starts running towards the wall. I stops right in front of it and then jumps against it a few times. "What is she doing?" I ask. "Who knows." He says and we laugh. Then Buttercup comes walking around the corner. He sees Liam and stops.

"Hi Buttercup." Liam says and bends down to pet him. He hisses and walks away. "Sorry about that. Buttercup doesn't like anyone." I murmur as Liam laughs. "He likes you, doesn't he?" He asks. "Well, yeah, but I don't know why. Probably because I feed it." I say and grin. Liam smiles. "Of course he like you. Who couldn't like you." He says and looks down. I feel my cheeks burn.

He then turns to Nuts. "Nuts! Come here!" He says. The cat looks at him and then lies down again. I laugh. Liam sighs. He then suddenly barks. Nuts looks up and comes running over. "Good girl." He says and pets her. He turns to me and sees my confused face. "Nuts thinks she's a dog sometimes. And she likes it if you bark at her." He says and laughs. I chuckle and bark. Nuts walks over to me and I'm able to pet her. Liam laughs. "Exactly!"

We then sit down on the sofa. "So what's wrong with her?" I ask. Liam blinks and looks confused. "What's wrong with who?" "Nuts. Remember, that's why you came here." I say and raise my eyebrows. He blushes. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Um, I think there's something with her back paw. She keeps limping and never puts it on the ground. It's been like that for three days now." He says. I nod and examine her two back paws. They both look fine.

I then gently pick one of her paws up. "This one?" I ask and he nods. I look closer. I suddenly see a big splinter in her paw. I try and grab it. After a few tries I succeed. I pull it out slowly, and after a few moments its out. I let her paw go and she jumps off of the table and runs around normally. Leo looks at me in shock. "How did you do that?" He asks with wide eyes. I laugh. "She had a splinter. You don't have to be a doctor to get that out." I say and show him the piece of wood. He looks down.

"Oh. Oops. Suppose I should have looked myself before I brought her here." He says. "Oh, I don't mind. It's fun hanging out with you anyway." I say and put my hand over my mouth. Why did I just say that out loud? I look up at Liam and see him smiling at me with red cheeks. "Thanks. I like hanging out with you too." He says and grins. I blush and murmur a thank you.

I then ask if he wants something to eat and drink. "Sure." He says and we walk to the kitchen. I pour us both a drink and then grab our bag with cookies. I put the cookies on the draining board and one falls out. I bend to grab it and put my hand on it. But apparently Liam was doing the same thing, so our hands touch. We both freeze and stand there like that for a moment. He then picks up the cookie and hands it to me. I look up and see his cheeks are a dark red. I reckon mine are as well. "Thanks." I whisper and put the cookie away. I then hand him his drink and we walk to the living room in silence.

We sit down and he has a cookie. "Wow, these are delicious! Did you make these?" He asks. I laugh. "I wish mine were that good. Peeta made these for me. He makes me some nearly every week." I say and smile. Liam nods. After a while I turn on the television and give Liam the remote. "Here, you choose something to watch." I say. He shrugs and changes the channel a few times. He then stops at my favorite channel, _PTV_.

"Do you like this channel as well?" I ask and he nods. "Yeah, _Panem TeleVision_ is my favorite channel, I love seeing how stupid all the people in the capitol are." He says and I laugh. "Me too!" I say. "Oh, good, _Capitol Shore_ is on." Liam says and we watch it. We also talk about how weird the capitol is. Like, seriously, who paints their skin green and wears orange and pink wigs?

After a while I realize Liam is sitting right next to me again. I look up at his face and notice he's looking at me. "What?" I ask and he blinks again. "Oh, nothing." He says and shakes his head. We then watch tv again. After a while Liam yawns and stretches his arms. His right arm then lands on the sofa, behind my shoulders. I blush and see Liam looks like he's concentrating on the television.

When the show's over, he stands up and looks at me. "Shall we go to the park?" He asks and grins. "Okay." I say and turn the television off. We then walk outside and to the park.

**Katniss' POV**

We knock on Madge's door. A few moments later she opens it. "Hey guys. What are you doing here?" She asks. Peeta tells her about what he saw on _Panem's richest_. She laughs. "So you only came here to see the arcade room? I feel used!" She says and we laugh. She then leaves us in. I've been inside a couple of times, but the place takes my breath away again each time. Peeta squeezes my hand. "This is so exciting! I've never been here before!" He whispers into my ear and I chuckle.

Madge walks us through a few hallways and then opens two big doors. She gestures for us to walk in as she turns on the lights. The lights go on and we both gasp. There was a pool table, a lot of different computer games, a dance game, a karaoke game, and even a small bowling alley. "Jezus Madge, I've been here like ten times already, but you've never shown me _this_." I say and put my hands up. She chuckles. "There's also a swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi." She then says.

"Why do you even hang out with us if you have all this?" Peeta exclaims and walks over to the dance game. Madge laughs and hits his arm playfully. "I bet I can beat both of you at this." He says and points at the dance game. "Oh, game on." Madge says and they both stand on the mats. "Are you playing too, Katniss?" She asks. I shake my head. "Uhm, no thanks, I don't dance." I say. The big screen goes on and Madge selects 'two players'. She then chooses a random song and arrows show up that you have to step on on the mat. It was very cool.

Madge and Peeta start dancing and jumping and I laugh. Madge was relaxed and swiftly moving her legs, while Peeta was sweating and jumping around frantically. The song soon ended and the points showed up. Peeta had 62.300 points, and Madge had 347.000 points. "That's not fair! You cheated, you cheater!" Peeta yells and points at Madge. We laugh. "Sorry Peeta, but I've been practicing since I was five." She says. Peeta pouts and walks over to the bowling alley.

We bowl for a while, and in the end I win. "Can we go in the jacuzzi?" Peeta then asks. "Peeta, we don't have any swimsuits with us." I remind him. "Oh, that doesn't matter, we've got a wardrobe full of swimsuits for men and women. They're for the staff or if guests forget their stuff. So you can lend something." Madge says and smiles. Peeta nearly runs to the other room. I follow him and gasp.

There was a gigantic swimming pool, and a little door which probably leaded to the sauna. And in the corner there was a big jacuzzi. Madge walked us to the wardrobe and I chose a green bikini. Peeta chose blue shorts. Madge put on her own pink bikini. Peeta then ran to the jacuzzi and jumped in. We laughed and jumped in as well. It was heavenly. It was really warm and bubbly. Peeta sat next to me and put his arm around me. Madge sat opposite us and put her head back.

We sat there for fifteen minutes and talked. Suddenly the door bell went. Madge sighs. "I'll be back in a minute." She says and grabs a towel to put around her. She walks out and closes the door. The second the door's closed, Peeta pulls me on top of him and kisses me. I sit on his lap and put my legs around his waist. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close. We kiss for a while. He leans back. "I love you, Katniss." He whispers into my ear. He then kisses my ear softly. He kisses my neck, and my jaw, and then he's back at my mouth.

**Madge's POV**

I grab a towel and close the door behind me. I walk to the front door and open it. I see Louis standing in front of me and close my door again, so he can only see my head. "Hi Madge. Shall we hang out?" He asks and grins. "Ugh, Louis, not now. I'm with Katniss and Peeta. And anyway, I don't trust you after what you did yesterday." I say. His smile vanishes. "Madge, please, I'm sorry I kissed you. I promise I won't kiss you again. I just wanna hang out with you and Katniss and Peeta." He says and pouts.

I sigh. "But, we're in the jacuzzi at the moment. And you probably don't have your swimsuit with you.." I say. "Oh, surely I can lend one? I heard the mayor has a wardrobe full of swimsuits and clothes for if guests come." He says and grins. How did everyone suddenly know what my house was like? I sigh again. "Okay, I suppose you can hang out with us for a while." I murmur. He grins again and walks in. "Thanks Madge, I really appre-" He stops and looks at what I'm wearing. He looks me up and down and I blush. "Love the towel." He grins and walks on again.

I slam the door shut and walk towards the jacuzzi with him behind me. Ugh, I could nearly feel him staring at my butt. We walk around a few corners, and then into the swimming pool area.

**Katniss' POV**

I suddenly hear the door open. Peeta pushes me off of his lap gently and I sit next to him casually, like nothing happened. We look at the door and see an irritated Madge. "What's wrong?" I ask. I then see someone standing behind her. "Hi guys!" Louis says and walks in. Peeta and I start laughing as Madge glares at us. "So is this the wardrobe?" Louis asks and opens a door. Madge nods and he walks in. He closes the door behind him.

Madge runs over to us. "He won't leave me alone!" She whispers and I chuckle. "No, Katniss, it's not funny. I could practically feel him staring at my butt when we walked over here!" She whispers and Peeta laughs. She turns to him and glares at him. Peeta stops laughing and looks down. Then the door opens and Louis walks out with gray shorts. He puts his clothes down and jumps into the jacuzzi, splashing us all. He then sits down opposite us. "Are you coming?" He says and grins at Madge. Madge rolls her eyes and sits down next to him, as that's nearly the only space left.

Louis yawns and puts his arm on Madge's shoulder. "Get off of me!" She yells and pushes him away. We laugh and he makes some space between himself and Madge. "Sorry, sorry, just tired.." he murmurs. I then remember something.

"Madge, have you told Gale yet?" I ask. Madge looks at me with a confused look. "Told him what?" She asks. I glance at Louis and she follows my glaze. "Oh." She says and blushes. "Madge, please tell me you've told him." I say. She looks up at me. "How am I suppose to tell him another boy kissed me?" She says. Louis looks at her. "Who kissed you?" He asks seriously. "You, you dumbass!" She says and pushes him softly. He just chuckles. "Oh, that handsome guy called Louis." He says and grins. Madge rolls her eyes again.

"Madge, you're going to have to tell him today. He's going to find out one way or another." I say. She nods and looks at the clock. "Oh, it's my turn to call him today. Shall I call him now?" She says. I nod. "Yeah, get it over with." I say. She stand up and grabs a phone. She then dials a number. Louis just sits there looking at us all.

The phone rings a few times. I then faintly hear someone speak. "_Hello?" _"Hi Gale." Madge says. "_Hi Madge! How are you?_" "I'm fine thanks, you?" "_I'm fine." _He says. Madge bites her lip and looks at me. I hold her hand and squeeze it. She sighs. "Gale, I have to tell you something." She says. It's silent for a moment. "_What's wrong?_" I hear Gale ask with a worried voice.

"Well, Peeta, Katniss and I were hanging out in the park. Then this stupid boy, Louis came up to us. He started flirting with me, but I just ignored him. I know I should have told him to stop, but I was scared and I didn't want to hurt him, I thought he'd stop soon enough. But then yesterday, he kissed me." She whispers the last part. "Well I enjoyed it." Louis mutters.

"Shut up Louis!" Madge yells and hits his face again. "Madge, calm down." Peeta says. "_Madge? Who are you with at the moment? Are you with Peeta, Katniss and Louis?_" His voice sounds strange. "Yeah." "_Can you put me on speaker for a second so I can talk with Louis?_" He asks. Madge frowns. "Um, okay." She says and clicks on a button. "You're now on speaker."

"Hi Gale!" Peeta says and I laugh. We hear Gale laugh as well. "Hi Peeta, Katniss. How are you doing?" His voice is louder, and very clear, so it nearly sounds like he's right next to us. "Fine, you?" I ask. "I'm doing okay. Louis?" Louis smiles. "Yes?" "Did you kiss Madge?" His voice sounds sweet. Too sweet. "Yep." Louis says and smiles again. "Well I'd like to ask you, TO NEVER DO THAT AGAIN, OR I WILL COME AND BREAK YOUR NECK. I COULD BE THERE IN FOUR HOURS IF I GET THE TRAIN. REMEMBER THAT NEXT TIME YOU TRY AND KISS HER, OKAY?" He screams. Louis nods. "Fine."

"Okay then." Gale says, with a normal voice now again. "Peeta, Katniss, nice to talk to you. Can you put me off speaker again please, Madge?" He asks. Madge picks up the phone and presses on a button. "Uhu.. Yeah. I don't know.. Katniss and Peeta like him.. No, are you crazy? I think he's an annoying douche. Yeah.. Okay. I'll tell him that.. I'll call you later. Love you too. Bye!" She says. "Bye Gale!" I yell and Peeta does the same. Madge laughs. "Gale says bye." She says to us. She then says bye again and puts away the phone.

She walks back and sits in the jacuzzi again. "Louis, he also said that if you ever even touch _his girlfriend_ again, he'll kill you." She blushes and looks at me with a shy smile on her face.

**Prim's POV**

We walked around the park for a bit, got an ice cream, sat on the grass, and then decided to go back home. We were walking back to my house slowly, when his hand brushed mine. His hand froze and he looked up at me with red cheeks. I blushed as well and smiled at him. He took that as some sort of confirmation, cause he then suddenly held my hand. I nearly gasped. His hand was warm and tingling my skin where he touched it. We walked back home in silence.

When we got home, it was already starting to get dark outside. We went inside and sat on the sofa. "When is your brother coming to pick you up?" I ask. He shrugs. "I don't know. Could be now, could be in three days." He says and chuckles. I laugh. "You know," he says, "I don't even know your last name." "It's Everdeen. Primrose Everdeen." I say and he nods. "That's lovely." He says and I feel my cheeks get a bit warmer. "What about yours?" I ask. "Bond. Liam Bond." He says and we laugh.

"No, I'm only kidding, my last name is Finch." He says and smiles. I nod. "Liam Finch." I say and he nods. "It suddenly sounds like a beautiful name when you say it.." he murmurs and looks down. My cheeks burn like someone's holding a hot pan against it. Before I can mutter a weird thank you, Katniss, Peeta and Louis walk in.

**Katniss' POV**

"Hi Prim and Liam, have a good time?" I ask. I notice they're sitting quite close to each other, and Prim's cheeks are red. "Yeah, we had great fun." Prim says and smiles. "Okay, good, cause we have to go now." Louis says. Liam stands up. "I had a load of fun hanging out with you." Liam says and smiles at Prim. Prim nods. "How about we hang out again on Saturday?" He then asks and rubs the back of his neck a bit shyly. "Yeah, sure, sounds like fun." Prim says and smiles. "Great! Um, I'll pick you up on Saturday then. Bye!" Liam says and turns around.

"Bye Liam, see you Saturday." I say and smile at him. He was adorable, he was only thirteen years old. He smiles at me. "Bye Katniss, Peeta." He says and walks outside, into the car. Louis says goodbye to us and then they drive away. I turn to Prim. "He was sitting quite close to you, wasn't he?" I ask. She just stares at the wall behind me. "Prim?" I ask and wave my hands in front of her face. She blinks and looks up at me. "I'm sorry, what?" She says and blushes.

I chuckle. "Nothing." I say. She nods and goes upstairs. Then Peeta grabs my hand. "Do you have five minutes?" I ask. "For you? Always." He says and grins. I drag him upstairs and he closes the door behind us. I sit on the bed and tell him to sit next to me. "What are we going to do if our parents start dating?" I ask. He pouts. "I thought we went up here to make out." He says.

I laugh. "No, Peeta, seriously. Wouldn't it be weird?" I ask. He nods and frowns for a moment. "Imagine if they get married, then your mother would be called Mrs. Mellark, and you'd be dating me, Peeta Mellark, and if we ever get married our whole bloody family will be called Mellark." He says. I laugh and blush. "I was thinking the same thing, well, except for the us getting married part." I say. He suddenly looks at me seriously.

"Don't you want to get married and have kids when your older?" He asks. I sigh. "I don't know Peeta. I'm just afraid that if I lose the one I love, I'll turn into my mother and ignore my child. I don't want to do that to anyone." I say. He frowns for a moment. "But I was already designing our wedding cake!" He jokes and grins. I laugh and playfully hit his arm. I also hope he really is joking.

I then give him a small, short kiss. When I lean back he frowns at me. "What was that?" He asks. "What was what?" I ask, confused. "The little thing you did there." He says. "That was a kiss." I say and start getting worried he's forgotten how to kiss. He then grins mischievously. "No it wasn't. _This_ is a kiss." He slowly leans towards me and kisses me passionately. When he leans back a few minutes later, I have to admit, _that_ really was a kiss.

"Wow." I breathe and he grins. I can't believe I'm out of breath. He only kissed me for five minutes. How did he do this? He then stands up. "I better get going. Have to help my dad make dinner." He says and stretches. I get up and stand on my tiptoes. I lean towards him and give him a lingering kiss on the jaw. "Do you have to go?" I say. He glares at me. "That's unfair, you know I have to." He whispers as I kiss down his jaw and onto his neck. He leans his head back. 'Katniss.." He moans.

I kiss his neck and his chin. I then kiss around his mouth. I put my tongue out, and let the tip slide over his lips. He groans. "Please, Katniss, I really have to go.." He murmurs. I sigh. "Alright then." I step back and put my arms over my chest. I didn't want him to leave. He opens his eyes again and looks at me. I notice his eyes are darker than usually. "I suppose Dad wouldn't mind if I came ten minutes late." He whispers huskily. He then steps forwards and puts his hands on my cheeks. He leans in and gives me one of his passionate kisses. I feel my knees buckle. I think it's just me, but then I realize it's Peeta sweeping me off my feet.

He carries me over to the bed and lies me down. He then lies down next to me, kissing me the whole time. His hands squeeze my butt and my hands tangle in his hair. After ten minutes he stands up again and I nearly pout. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He asks and holds up my chin with his thumb. I nod and smile at him. He smiles back at me and gives me one last short kiss.

He then looks at the clock. "Shit, I really have to go." He says and strokes my hair once. "See you tomorrow!" He opens the door and walks down the stairs. I watch him walk over to his house and then close my curtains. I put my pajamas on and go straight to bed. It's only seven o'clock, but I'm knackered. I put off the lights and fall asleep, dreaming of a wedding.

**Author's Note: Hellooo! I hope you all liked the chapter. I know I changed POV's a lot, but I couldn't explain what was happening correctly otherwise. Anyway, next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Thursday-evening. 'Till then, have a nice day, and don't forget to review! :) **


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: Hello lovely readers! :) Here's chapter 22, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 22_

**Katniss' POV**

I see my mother walking towards me in a big, white dress. Her hair is in a beautiful braid and she has lovely make-up on. She sees me and smiles. I look at myself and see I'm wearing a bridesmaids dress. My mother walks past me, and she stops in front of me, standing next to Peeta's father, who is wearing a white suit.

They hold each others hands and smile at each other. I look aro

und and see all my family and friends sitting, watching the wedding. I see Prim, sitting next to Louis. I also see people I don't realize, who are probably Peeta's family or people that work at the hospital with my mother.

"Do you, Suzanne Everdeen, take Jonathan Mellark as your lawfully wedded husband?" I see a man in a black suit, standing in front of them. "Yes." My mother says. "Do you, Jonathan Mellark, take Suzanne Everdeen as your lawfully wedded wife?" "Yes." Peeta's father says and smiles. "You may now kiss the bride." Mr. Mellark leans towards my mother and I hear everyone clap. Except for me and Peeta. He grabs my hand and I notice I'm angry. Why am I angry?

Suddenly someone runs towards Mr. Mellark. I blink. It's my father. He jumps on Mr. Mellark and I scream. I try and stop them, but somehow I can't move.

My eyes open and I realize I'm sweating in my bed. I take deep breaths and think about my dream. Why did my father jump on Peeta's father? I see the sun shining through the crack in the curtains. I look at my clock. It's 10 o'clock already. I get up and have a warm shower to relax. I then put on some clothes and braid my hair. I walk downstairs and into the kitchen. "Good morning Katniss." Prim sings and smiles at me. "Good morning little duck. Sleep well?" I ask. She looks down and nods.

I grab some cereal and sit at the table. "So what did you dream about?" I ask. She looks up at me and bites her lip. "Nothing, how about you?" She says. I sigh. "I don't know, Prim. I don't know." I murmur. Prim looks confused but then just shrugs and eats her sandwich. I hear something at the door and see the postman walk away through the window. I stand up and find a letter from Gale.

_Dear Katniss,_

_I know I already told you, but really, thanks for letting us stay. You don't know how much I appreciate it. It was a load of fun, and I hope we can come again soon. Talking about coming over, would you, Madge and Peeta like to come over some time? I can make my mom take all the kids on vacation for a few day, she wouldn't mind. I hope you'd like too. I know Finnick and Annie would love to see you all again. Did you know Annie keeps talking about you, Peeta and Madge? We'd be hanging out and she'd say something like 'oh, I miss District 12. It's so lovely and peaceful there.' or 'did you know Katniss can hunt?' or 'apparently Peeta's a really good painter' but usually she just says 'you and Madge are so cute together!'. She really misses you guys, I think. And Finnick and I do as well. Hope we see you soon._

_Love,  
Gale  
_

__I laugh at the part about Annie talking about us. Annie never stopped talking. I sigh. I really did miss them too.

Prim gets up and goes in to the living room. Then my mother walks in and sits down. "Morning, Katniss." She says and yawns. I mutter a 'morning' and drink some tea. She gets some cereal and sits down opposite me. She then frowns. "What?" I ask. "Nothing, it's just, you've grown up so quick. You're 16 already, in less than ten years you and Prim will probably have your own house. I feel really old. The time goes by so quick when you get older. It's like you blink and another year is over." She says and looks sad.

Well, yeah, of course I've grown up. Teenagers tend to grow sometimes. I nearly say it out loud, but stop when I see my mother's face. She looks up at me with painful eyes. "I can't believe I missed your teenage years." She whispers. I look down. She wasn't accusing me, she was accusing herself. "At least you still have Prim. If you don't leave again." I murmur and she nods. "I'm staying now Katniss. Really." She says and puts her hands on mine. I gently pull my hand from hers. I still didn't feel comfortable being this close to my mother.

She sighs and puts her cup down. "I know you don't trust me, Katniss. I wouldn't either if I was in your shoes. I just- I just hope some day you'll forgive me. And I know it wont be tomorrow, or next week. It will take some time, and I understand that. But I hope that one day we can act normally, like a few years ago." She says and I hear her voice trembling. I was speechless. My mouth feels dry. All I can do is nod. She slightly smiles at me. "Thank you." She says and stands up.

**Louis' POV**

I get up and put on some clothes. I hear my two sisters screaming. Ugh, already? It was only 10.30 or something! I run my hand through my messy hair and go downstairs. "Morning Dad." I say as he gives me a kiss on the top of my head. I pour myself some milk and sit down. Libby and Emily were sitting next to each other, arguing. "Felicia, Emily, quiet down." Louis says as he walks in and sits down next to me. Felicia glares at him. "Do not call me Felicia, I want to be called Libby." She hisses at him while he rolls his eyes.

"Going to see Madge today?" I ask and look at Louis. He shrugs. "I don't know. She'll probably want to hang out, she can't be without me for too long or she gets sad. She totally digs me." He says and nods. I roll my eyes. Was he delusional or something? I finish my milk and my father looks at me. "No breakfast?" He asks and I nod. "I'm not really hungry." I say and look down while biting my lip. My father looks at me for a moment and then nods.

"Actually, can I talk to you in a minute, Liam?" He asks seriously. I nod. What did he want to talk about? A few moments later he stands up and gestures for me to follow him. I follow him in to the bedroom and he closes the door behind me. "What's wrong?" He asks. I shrug. "Nothing. Why?" I ask. He sighs. "Liam, you've barely eaten in two days. And you look like your dreaming all the time. If I say something I have to repeat myself at least three times." He says and frowns.

I look down. My father puts his hand on my shoulder. "She's pretty, isn't she?" He then says. I blush and ask who. He laughs. "I didn't say a name, but you were thinking of a special girl, weren't you?" He says. Ugh. I have to admit, I was thinking of Prim. I bite my lip and look down. "No." I murmur and he laughs again. He then kneels down so he can look me in the eye.

He tilts my chin up and looks at me seriously. "Listen, I'm not going to talk to you about love or anything, because that would just be embarrassing and awkward." He says and grins. "But if you ever feel the need to talk, I'm here." He says. I smile. "Thanks Dad." I say. He stands up normally again. I hear Louis yelling something and then hear something smash. My father sighs. "Louis, Emily!" He yells and walks out. I laugh and follow him.

Louis and Emily always fought most. Emily's 11. According to my father Emily and Louis are both as stubborn and have as bad a temper as my mother. But Emily looks just like my father; ginger hair, a small nose, a perfect smile and little freckles. They're also the only two in the family with blue eyes. The rest of us have green eyes. I look most like my mother, but on the inside I'm 'a mini-version of my dad' as Louis used to say.

In a way I'm happy Louis and Emily are like my mother used to be. My mother died in a car crash, 5 years ago. I was only 8 years old, and Libby was just two. My mother was driving normally, until her brakes suddenly stopped working. She couldn't stop and smashed into another driver. The other driver survived, but my mother died instantly.

I remember what it was like 5 years ago. My Dad, who was still quite young, just lost his wife and now had to raise 4 kids on his own. He worked as an assistant in a little shop in town, and didn't earn much. It were hard times. But we're okay now, I think.

I go to the living room and watch some television. What was I going to do today? I told Prim I'd pick her up tomorrow. But I kinda wanted to hang out with her today. And tomorrow. And next week, every day. I really liked her. She was genuinely friendly, not like those girls who pretend they're nice, but then when you get to know them, they're total bitches. Prim was lovely, and I couldn't stop thinking about her.

Wouldn't it be weird if I went to her house today? Like, we had already done something yesterday and the day before, isn't three days too much? Plus, I did say I'd pick her up Saturday, not today. She might think I'm crazy and don't know what day it is.

Ugh, my thoughts were crazy if it was about Prim. I just couldn't decide what to do. Pick her up, wait till tomorrow. Pick her up, wait till tomorrow.

Pick her up.

I walk over to Louis. "Hey, remember that time I gave you five bucks, and you never gave it back?" I say and grin. He sighs. "What do you want _now_?" He says. "Can you ride me to Prim's house?" I ask. He frowns. "Weren't you going to hang out tomorrow?" He asks. I sigh. "Yes, but I'm bored, so yeah. I'm sure she won't mind." I say and rub the back of my neck, something I did when I got nervous.

Louis raises his eyebrows for a second but then stands up. "Fine. But you owe me." He says and walks over to the living room to grab his keys. "Thanks." I say and follow him into the car. We ride for ten minutes, and then we're there. The car stops and Louis turns the engine off. He then looks at me. "Go, then." He says and gestures to the Everdeen house. I suddenly wonder if I should just go back home.

"What if she doesn't want to hang out?" I ask. "Maybe she's with a friend, or-" Louis looks at something behind me and laughs. I turn around and see Prim waving at us through the window. I see Louis wave at her and he elbows my stomach. "Doesn't look like she's doing anything." He says and I sigh. I hop out off the car and wave back at him. He honks once and drives off. I walk over to Prim's door, and before I can knock she opens the door for me.

"Hi Liam! What are you doing here? I thought we weren't going to hang out till tomorrow." She says and smiles. I automatically smile back at her, I couldn't help it. "Um, yeah, I didn't really have anything to do at home, and my brother was going to drive here anyway, so I thought 'well, why not see what Prim's doing'." I say. Okay, the part about my brother driving here was made up, but otherwise it sounded like I came here especially for her. Which I did. But she couldn't know that.

"Okay, cool, we can hang out. Come in." She says and I walk inside. We walk to the living room and I see a girl sitting on the sofa. Prim walks in and introduces us. "Liam, this is my best friend, Rue. Rue, this is Liam. He's the brother of one of Katniss' friends. We're friends now." She says and smiles at me. My breath escapes me and I smile back. Rue stands up and looks me up and down.

"Hi, nice to meet you." She then says and smiles. She looked very friendly, and I had this weird feeling I could tell her all my secrets and she wouldn't judge me or tell them to anyone else. I smile back at her. "Nice to meet you too." We walk back to the sofa and sit down. Prim sits in the middle, and I notice Rue keeps glancing at me.

"I need to go to the toilet, I'll be back in a sec." Rue says and stands up. She leaves the room and Prim turns to me. "So.. how are you?" I ask. She laughs. Oh, yeah, leave it to me to ask a dorky question. "I'm fine, thanks, you?" She smiles. "I'm doing great." I say and grin. "So does Rue seem nice to you?" She asks. I nod. "She seems very friendly. Nearly as friendly as you." I say and I notice her cheeks change color. "Thanks." She murmurs and smiles to the ground. Then Rue walks back in.

She looks at us for a moment. "Prim, um, can you show me where the glasses are? I'm thirsty." She says. Prim looks confused. "You know where the glasses are." She says. Rue's eyes go wide for a moment as she looks at Prim. "No, I don't. Now show me where they are." She says and grabs Prim's hand. She pulls her into the kitchen, and before she closes the door Prim looks at me and shrugs, chuckling.

I hear them walk into the kitchen. Then they start whispering. Were they talking about me? I listen closer, and am able to hear what they're saying. "_Prim, he likes you!_" I hear Rue say. I blush and stick my tongue out to the door. "_No he doesn't._" Prim whispers. "_He does! I saw him look at you! And I happened to hear the 'nearly as friendly as you' conversation._" She says. "_Were you spying on us?_" Prim whispers a bit loudly. "_No, I only heard that line. But Prim, focus, and listen to me. Do you like him?_" Rue whispers.

I freeze. There's no answer. Was that good or bad? A few moments later I hear Rue whisper again. "_I see. Come on, let's go._" What? Did Prim answer? She must have shaken her head or something. I hear the door open and pretend I'm focusing on the television. I then look at Rue and smile. "Hi, find a glass?" I ask. Her eyes go wide and her mouth opens. She looks at her hands. "Um, yeah, but I wasn't really that thirsty anymore so I didn't use it." She says and looks around the room.

They then both sit down again. We watch a program. Well, they watch the program, while I think about what Prim's answer could have been. It was probably a no. That's why Rue didn't go on about it. The program then ends and Rue turns to me. She smiles. "So, Liam. Tell me something about yourself." I swallow and frown. What could I say? "Um, well, my name is Liam, and I'm 13 years old." I say. The girls laugh and Rue looks at me again.

"Okay, and what else?" "Uh, I like to sport, and be outside. I have two little sisters, Libby and Emily, and a brother, Louis. I love chocolate, and my favorite color is bright blue." I say and smile. Rue nods for a moment and then smirks. "Why and since when is your favorite color bright blue? Cause it's a very lovely color, isn't it? What kind of bright blue are you talking about? Like these socks," She says and points to her blue socks, "or more like Prim's eyes?" I blush and feel Rue staring at me. I see Prim blush as well, and she looks down.

I sigh. "Since three days ago, when I met Prim. Her eyes enchanted me." I whisper. Prim looks up at me with a shocked face. I see Rue look at us with a big smile on her face. "Yeah, I gotta go, see you later, guys." She says and walks out of the door. There's a silence, until I feel Prim's hand on mine. I look up at her and see her smiling shyly, with red cheeks and her eyes brighter than ever. "Thank you." She whispers and squeezes my hand.

"You're very welcome." I say and smile at her. With her hand in mine, I feel like I can conquer the world. Nothing could stop me. I can do whatever I want, because Prim is with me now. I squeeze her hand softly, like she just did and grin.

**Gale's POV**

It was my turn to call again today. I grab my phone and sit on the sofa. I then dial her number, which I now know without even thinking. The phone rings a couple times, and then she answers. "Hello?" I hear her say. I smile immediately. "Hi Madge." "Hi Gale! How are you?" She asks happily. "I'm fine, you?" "I'm fine." She says. "Good. Has Louis been annoying you?" I ask a bit irritated. I wish I could grab a train right now and go to District 12 to beat up that '_Louis_'. He sounded like a total jerk. And how _dare_ he kiss Madge?

She chuckles. "No. After you screamed at him and threatened to kill him yesterday, he left me alone." She says. I frown. "Did I threaten to kill him?" I ask. "Um, yeah. You said, and I quote: 'Tell him that if he ever touches _my girlfriend_ again, I'll kill him.'" I freeze. I now remember saying that sentence.

Oh man. What if she thought we were going too fast? After all, we've only liked each other for a week now, not even. There's a silence and I think I'm right. She then speaks again. "What's wrong?" She asks with a worried voice. "Are you.. are you okay, with, you know, me calling you my- my girlfriend?" I stutter. I also feel my cheeks burning. This was ridiculous, we we're only talking on the phone. There's a silence again. Oh no.

"Of course, Gale. I'd love to be your girlfriend." She says and chuckles shyly. I sigh and feel relieved. "Anyway, when are you coming over again? I miss you." She says and I feel sad. I didn't want Madge to feel horrible or miss me. She didn't deserve it. I sigh again. "I don't know, Madge. I miss you too, really." I say and I can nearly hear her smile. We talk for another half an hour, then I have to go.

"I'll call you tomorrow." She says. "Okay, talk to you tomorrow. Love you." I say and smile. I know, it's stupid, she can't see me anyway. But I couldn't stop smiling when I talked to her. "Love you too." She says and I hang up. Rory walks over to me and grins. He then looks serious and stands straight, pushing his chest forwards. "Oh, Madge, I love you so much, you're all I think about all day, I'm totally going to beat up that Lewis or Louis or something, and did I say I love you? I love you Madge." He mocks me with a high voice, and when he's done he turns around and pretends he's making out with someone.

"Shut up, Rory." I say and pick him up. He tries to wriggle out of my hands but fails. I hold him up over my head and twirl him around. "Gale!" He yells and I laugh.

Then my mother's _fiancee_ walks in. "Gale, put your brother down." He says sternly. I stop twirling Rory and put him down. He punches my arm softly and then walks out. There's an awkward silence as my soon-to-be-stepfather sits down and looks at me over his little reading glasses. "How's school going?" He asks as he turns a page of his newspaper. "Fine." I say and he nods, sipping from his coffee. "Good." He says.

I sigh and turn around. I walk outside and to the beach. I see Finnick and Annie sitting on towel, and they wave at me. I walk over to them. "Hi Annie, Finnick." I say and smile at them. "Hi Gale!" Annie says and grins. She always reminds me of Prim, both always so happy and cheerful. "What are you doing?" I ask. Finnick shrugs. "Just sittin' at the beach." He says and I chuckle. I sit down next to him and he puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Anything wrong?" He asks with a frown. Finnick always knew if something was wrong with someone. It was like he felt it or something. I shrug. "Nah, nothing." I say. Finnick rolls his eyes. "Just tell me." I sigh for what must be the hundredth time today. "I don't know, man. It's just my stepfather. We don't really get along." I say and Finnick nods. "I mean, he tries to talk to me but we just can't have a normal conversation which lasts longer than a minute. And I just don't really like him. I don't see what my mother sees, that's for sure." I say.

Finnick nods again and frowns. "Give him some time. It's probably hard for him too, having to suddenly share his house with a woman and her four children. He'll loosen up soon." He says. I nod and hope he's right.

**Peeta's POV**

Seven o'clock already. Katniss and I had spent the whole day at my house, eating, laughing, watching stupid movies and talking about _everything_, from my crushes, till her weirdest moments with Gale. We had a great day. I loved not having to go to school. It meant I could spend the whole day with Katniss, doing whatever we wanted.

We finished our cookies and went upstairs. She grabs my hand and closes the door. She then pushes me against the wall. Well, this was new. Usually I'd push her against a wall and kiss her like there's no tomorrow. She pinned my hands against the wall and pushed herself against me. She then moved her face closer to mine, till our noses were touching. She stared into my eyes, and I wanted to kiss her _so_ badly.

She finally kissed me. She started with small, tender kisses. She then started kissing me roughly. I wriggled my hands out of her grip and put them under her legs, picking them up and hitching them around my waist. Her arms wrapped around my neck and I turned us around, so her back was against the wall. She pulled me closer, and I leaned my body against hers.

After about ten minutes I leaned back and carried her over to the bed. I sat her down and sat down next to her. She gave me a long kiss and then snuggled into my chest. "Is something bothering you?" I ask. She was frowning and looked up at me. "No. Nothing." She says and I can tell she's lying. I tilt her chin up and lean my forehead against hers. "Katniss, you know that I love you, but I _hate_ it when you don't tell me things." I whisper. She sighs and gives me a small kiss.

"I just had a weird dream, and I can't get it out of my head." She says. I nod. "Do you want to tell me about it?" I ask. She looks up at me and I put my arms around her. "Well, we were at a wedding." She says and I suddenly wonder if she dreamed about _our_ wedding. "My mom and your dad were getting married." She then says quickly and blushes when she sees my disappointed face. "All our friends and family were there. They both said 'I do' and then they were going to kiss." She stops and frowns.

"And then what?" I ask, squeezing her hand softly. "My father came running towards them and jumped on your dad. I tried to stop him but I couldn't." She whispers. Okay, didn't see that one coming. "And, I don't know why, but it's just really annoying me. Like, the fact that they were getting married at all is just annoying, as I don't want them to get married, but also the fact that my father jumped on yours. Jonathan didn't do anything wrong. I screamed but something was holding me back." She says.

I nod. "Well that happens in nightmares, you know, that you can't move anymore." I say and she nods, understanding all too well. "And, I don't know, but maybe your father jumped on mine because he didn't want Suzanne to get married." I whisper. She looks up at me and then looks down again, frowning. "But it's probably just your subconsciousness telling you that _you_ don't want them to get married. Your father would probably want your mother to be happy again, wouldn't he?" I say and she nods a bit.

She's silent for a moment. She then sighs. "Thanks Peeta." She says and kisses me passionately. I kiss her back for a moment. Then she leans back. She blushes and looks up at me with a frown again. "What?" I ask. "Why do you want to get married when your older?" She asks. "A marriage is a beautiful thing, Katniss. I just want to have done that special thing with the one I love. Putting the ring around that person's finger, and saying the words 'I do' must be amazing. You're then officially together and stuff." I whisper.

She looks down. "What if the one you love doesn't want to get married?" She asks, and I notice she's blushing again. I think for a moment. "Well, I can't push someone into marrying me." I joke and she chuckles. "And what about kids?" She then asks. "Well, what about them?" I say. "You know, why do you want children?" "Why wouldn't I want children? They're adorable, and I'd love to hold a mini-me in my arms, and see it grow up." I say and smile.

"But wouldn't you be scared something would happen? Like, what if someone hurt him or her?" She whispers. "I'd chase that someone down with a baseball bat. The mother might even be able to fire an arrow at him." I joke, just to see Katniss blush. I loved seeing her blush, it was hilarious and extremely cute.

I tilt her head up and kiss her. She tangles her hands in my hair and I put my hands on her bum. I was so glad I could do that now, without it being weird or awkward. We kissed for a few minutes. Then I leaned back. "I have to go home." I say and she pouts again, like yesterday. She then grins mischievously. I stand up and run to the other side of the room. "Don't even dare trick me into kissing you again, or I might get grounded for being too late again." I say and she laughs.

She then walks over to me slowly. "Trick you?" She whispers seductively. "How would I possibly trick you?" She slides one hand down my chest. "Katniss, I really have to go." I say and try to walk to the door, but she stops me by standing behind me and putting her hands on my shoulders. I then suddenly feel her soft, warm lips against the back of my neck. "Kat-" She puts a finger on my mouth and tilts my head. She kisses my jaw and then the corner of my mouth. She then does that thing where she licks my lips softly. I groan and turn around. I put my arms around her waist and pull her close to me. She grins. "Five minutes." I say and push my lips against hers.

**Author's Note: Hi! I'm sorry, I was planning on doing a short Liam's POV, but I got carried away. So now he has a whole background story. Anyway, I just want to thank everyone for reading, reviewing and/or adding this story to story alert of favorite. It really makes me happy :) By the way, I think this is the longest chapter so far. I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Friday evening! :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: 234 reviews. _Wow_. Um, here's chapter 23, enjoy! :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 23_

**Katniss' POV**

I wake up, happy that I didn't dream about a wedding again. I open my eyes and close them again immediately because the sunshine is so bright. I stretch my back and get up slowly. I put on some shorts and a white tank top. Then I braid my hair and go downstairs. I notice there's nobody in the kitchen. That's odd. I then look at the clock and gasp. It was only 8.30. Usually I didn't wake up till 10. I sigh and make myself a cup of tea. I sit down and rest my elbows on the table, carefully sipping my hot tea.

I hear something and turn around. Buttercup is standing in the doorway, staring at me. "What?" I whisper at him. He hisses and turns around again. I chuckle and sip my tea again. I wonder if Peeta's up yet. He probably is, him and his father and brothers always got up really early. Must be a baker-thing.

I finish my tea and put my cup down. I got up and put it away. I then walked into the living room. It seemed so.. quiet without Prim sitting in here. So empty. I walk over to the table and see Gale's letter is still there. I'd ask Peeta if I could use his phone later, then I could just talk to Gale like that. I sigh and wish I had a phone. Apparently Madge had been talking to Gale, Finnick and Annie. But I couldn't, because we didn't have a phone.

Then I hear someone walking down the stairs. I look up and see Prim walk past the living room and into the kitchen. "Morning Prim." I say and she stops and turns around again. She walks in and smiles. "Hi Katniss. Why are you up so early?" She asks. I shrug. Prim goes into the kitchen and grabs some breakfast. When she comes back she sits at the table, opposite me. "Can I stay at Rue's tonight?" She asks.

I shrug again. "Sure, if you want. Just don't stay up too late." I say and smile. She grins. "I think Rue's going to keep me up all night, asking me about Liam." She says and then freezes. She puts her hand over her mouth and looks down. I raise my eyebrows. "Why would she ask you about Liam?" I say. Prim looks up at me and bites her lip. "Oh, well, um, I think Rue likes him." She says and I raise my eyebrows again. "Yeah, really. She thinks he's really cute.. and stuff." Prim says and blushes.

I chuckle. "_Rue_ thinks Liam is cute?" I ask. Prim nods. "Don't you mean _Prim_ thinks Liam is cute?" I say and smirk. Prim looks up at me, shocked. "I do _not_ think he is cute!" She nearly yells and puts her hands on her cheeks, probably trying to cover up her blush. I laugh. "It's not funny Katniss, shut up!" She says and I laugh even harder. This was cute. She then glares at me. "I'm sorry Prim, but you teased me as well when I liked Peeta. So this is just payback." I say matter-of-factly.

"But, that was different." Prim says and puts her head up. "Oh? How?" I ask. "Well you actually _liked_ Peeta. I don't like Liam. Not at all. He's a friend. A good, nice friend." She says and nods. I grin. "Okay, Prim. If you think so." I say and stand up. She sighs and rolls her eyes. I chuckle and somebody knocks on the door. I walk to get it. Who could it be, at 9.30 in the morning?

I open the door and see Peeta leaning against the door frame. He looks at me and grins. "Good morning Katniss." He says and puts his hands on my waist, and his head against mine. "Good morning." I say and give him a short kiss. "How did you know I was up?" I ask. He knew that I usually didn't wake up till ten. He looks up. "I noticed your curtains were open. And you always open them when you wake up." He says and smiles. "Looks like I have a stalker." I say and he rolls his eyes and chuckles. I walk in and he walks behind me, 'casually' resting his hand on my bum.

We walk into the living room. "Hi Prim." Peeta says and smiles at her. She turns around and smiles back. "Hi Peeta." Peeta walks up to her and hands her a bag. "Here, it's a new recipe. There's three different sorts of chocolate in it." He says and grins. Prim's jaw drops as she opens the bag. "Peeta, these look delicious. Thank you." She says and gives him a quick hugs. "You're welcome." He says and sits next to me on the sofa. Prim walks to the kitchen to put the bag away.

"What was in the bag?" I ask. "Cookies. I make her some every week." He says. "So you've been making my sister chocolate cookies, my favorite cookies, without telling me or giving me any?" I joke and raise my eyebrows. I stand up and sit at the other side of the sofa. Peeta just rolls his eyes. "You know that if you ever want cookies, all you have to do is ask." He says and grins. I look the other way and ignore him.

"Ugh, Katniss, come on, don't be like that." He whines. He then sighs and sits right next to me. He leans closer to my ear until his lips are gently brushing it when he whispers something. "I love you." He whispers and gently brushes my cheek with his fingers. I sigh and turn my head around so I can kiss him. I kiss him for a moment and then lean back, because I hear Prim walking back.

When she walks in I notice she's wearing a skirt and t-shirt. "What are you going to do today?" I ask. She looks at us and then looks down again. "I'm going to hang out with Rue.. and Liam." She murmurs. I chuckle. "Okay, have fun." I say and she walks out again. Peeta turns to me. "Does Prim like Liam?" He asks and grins. I nod. "I think so." I say and grin as well. "Aaahw, that's adorable!" Peeta says. I laugh.

"Oh, by the way, Prim's staying at Rue's tonight." I say. Peeta looks at me and then gives me a gigantic smile. "So I was thinking I should ask Madge if she'd like a sleepover.." I ask and see Peeta's face drop. I laugh. "I'm only kidding, don't worry." I say and laugh. He glares at me. "You're evil, Everdeen." He says and I grin. "I know." I say and he rolls his eyes. "So my house or yours?" He asks. I shrug. "I don't mind. Yours, I suppose. You have a comfier bed." I say and he laughs.

He then grabs my hand and pulls me to stand up. We walk to his house and sit down in the living room. "Where's Leo?" I ask when I see Rye in the kitchen. "He's in District 10, with Isabel. They're actually quite serious." He says and looks shocked. I chuckle. Then Mr. Mellark walks in. "Hi Katniss." He says and smiles at me. I say hello back. "Dad, Katniss is staying tonight, okay?" Peeta says. Mr. Mellark gives him a warning look for a second and then nods. "Okay." He says and then walks to the kitchen.

"What was that look about?" I ask. Peeta grins. "He's warning me to behave." He says and I blush. Peeta chuckles and grabs my hand. I then see the phone on the table. "Peeta, can I lend your phone for a second? I want to call Gale." I say. He stands up and hands it over to me. "Of course." He says and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I smile at him and get a piece of paper out of my pocket which says his number on it. I dial it in, and after a few rings he answers.

"Hello?" His voice sounds sleepy, and I realize it's only 10 o'clock. "Oh, crap, I'm sorry if I woke you up Gale." I say. He laughs. "Good morning to you too, Katniss." I laugh as well. "Hi Gaaaale." Peeta yells, and I hear Gale chuckle. "Say hi to your boyfriend for me." He says. I tell Peeta he says hi and focus again. "Gale?" "Yes?" "Can we come over sometime?" I ask. "Of course, whenever you want. Just tell me in advance so I can get my mom and her fiancee and the kids to go on holiday for a week." He says and chuckles. I chuckle as well. "Okay. Wait a second." I say and hold the phone to m shoulder. I look at Peeta. "Peeta, do you know when the next school holiday is?" I ask. He frowns for a second. "In 36 days." He then says. I laugh and raise my eyebrows. "I'm counting down already." He says and shrugs. Peeta was so silly, this vacation wasn't even over yet.

I pick the phone up again. "The next holiday is in 36 days." I say and Gale chuckles. "Okay, so about 5 weeks?" He says and I nod. I then slap myself, I was so stupid sometimes. Peeta laughs and I slap him as well. "Yes. So could we come over then?" I say. "Of course!" He says and I can nearly hear him smile. "Great. I suppose I'll see you then." I say. "Alright, talk to you soon. Bye!" Gale says and hangs up. I give the phone back to Peeta. "We're going in 36 days!" I say and Peeta smiles. "Good. I can't wait to see District 4." He says and I nod.

I'd only ever been in District 12 and 10, but District 4 was supposed to look amazing. And it was really warm. Peeta then grabs my hand and drags me over to the sofa. I sit down and he sits down next to me. His hands then glide over the sofa towards my waist. He carefully puts his hands on my waist and then softly tries to pull me over to him. I laugh and look at him. He's looking the other way, pretending he isn't doing anything. I shake my head and smile. I then stand up and sit on his lap. "That's a bit easier." I say and he grins. He then puts his arms around my waist and kisses my cheek.

We don't turn the television on. We just sit there. "Did you dream again?" He asks. I shake my head and he nods. He then gasps. I turn my head around and look at him. "What's wrong?" I ask with a worried voice. He looks at me with wide eyes. "I.. I just realized- I've never taken you to the cinema before." He says and grins. I sigh with relief and roll my eyes. He chuckles and kisses the top of my head. "Can I take you today? Please?" He asks. "If you really want to.." I say and he smiles.

He lifts me off of him and grabs my hand. He then grabs some money. "Oh, I don't have any money with me, I'll go home and get-" He puts his hand on my mouth and looks at me like I just said something really stupid. "Katniss, I'm taking you to the cinema; I pay." He says and I roll my eyes. We then walk outside and into town. After a while we're at the cinema. We stand outside and look at all the movies that they're showing.

"So what do you want to watch?" He asks. I look at the movies. _The Titanic 2, Always say Always, Around Panem in 80 days_, and a few more. I shrug. "I don't know, you can pick." I say and smile at him. We then go inside and buy the tickets. We also buy a XL-popcorn. "The movie starts in 20 minutes." He says and I nod. We go inside, and I can barely see anything because it's so dark. He guides me over to some seats in the back. I realize there's nearly nobody in here. I sit down and he sits down next to me. He puts the popcorn in the middle and then turns to me.

"I barely ever go to the cinema." I say. He grins mischievously. "Then I guess you don't know why we're sitting in the back." He says. I frown. What did he mean? He sees my confused face and laughs. "If people go on dates, they always sit in the back." He explains. Oh. I nod and he squeezes my hand softly. We talk for another twenty minutes, until somebody closes the doors and the big screen goes on. I sit back and eat a handful of popcorn.

The movie starts. Ugh, seriously? Peeta chose a romantic movie, one of those ones that nearly everyone cries at. I raise my eyebrows at Peeta and he chuckles. We watch the movie for a while. After about half an hour Peeta yawns and his arm 'accidentally' lands on my shoulder. I laugh and pull up the thing separating our seats. I snuggle into his chest and he kisses the top of my head. After a while the movie gets really sad. I don't cry though. I never cried at movies. I look up at Peeta and see he has watery eyes. I put my hand over my mouth and try not to laugh. This was adorable. Peeta glares at me and sniffs. I lean up to his face and give him a short kiss. He smiles and we watch the movie again.

After another hour the movie's over. We both stand up and stretch. "I can't believe you nearly cried." I say and grin at him. He glares at me. "Pfft. I wasn't going to cry. I just got popcorn in my eye." He says. I laugh. "Popcorn in your eye, oh yeah." I say and he nods. I shake my head and chuckle. Peeta then picks up the popcorn. We still had some left. He grabs a handful and throws it at me. "Hey!" I say and grab a handful to throw at him. He ducks but I still hit him. He grabs two handfuls and throws them at me.

I grab the whole bucket. "You wouldn't." He says and stares at the bucket. "Oh, I would." I say and put it on his head. The popcorn falls out and the bucket stays on his head. I laugh and wish I could make a photo. I then pull the bucket off and see him glare at me. There's a piece of popcorn stuck in his hair, and I pick it out for him. "I'm sorry." I say and grin. He just glares at me again. I stand on my tiptoes and give him a kiss. He sighs and kisses me back. When I lean back, he smiles at me and grabs my hand. "Let's go." He says and we walk out of the cinema. We walk in town. Peeta stops in front of a place that sells fries and hamburgers.

He grins at me. "Are you hungry?" He asks and I laugh. "You just had nearly a whole XL-popcorn. _How_ can you still be hungry?" I ask and shake my head. He shrugs and drags me in. I have just a small portion of fries. The man behind the counter looks at Peeta. "And what would you like?" He asks. Peeta thinks for a second before he answers. "I think I'll have medium fries, one of your special hamburgers, and a drink please." He says. The man nods and walks away. I turn to Peeta. "How do you fit all of that in there?" I say and poke his belly. He laughs.

A few minutes later the man comes back with our order. We grab the tray and decide to sit out back, in the sun. Peeta puts the tray down and we sit. I have my fries and Peeta starts with his 'special hamburger'. It had everything you can possibly think of on it. I eat half of my fries and give the rest to Peeta. He eats his own fries, finishes his hamburger, has the rest of my fries and has his drink.

When he's done he sighs and puts his hand on his belly. I laugh and he grins.

We then walk to the park. He holds my hand and we sit down on the grass. He then frowns and looks at me. "What's wrong?" I ask and squeeze his hand. He smiles slightly. "I.. nothing." He says and shakes his head. "Peeta, come on, tell me." I say and he looks up. "Its just, I was wondering.. why do you even like me?" He says and frowns. I laugh really hard. He gives me a confused look and I realize he's not joking. I sigh.

"Peeta, how could someone _not_ like you?" I say. He frowns again. "But I'm not likeable. I'm not handsome, or funny. I get jealous quickly and I'm weird." He murmurs. I can't believe this. I put my hands on his cheeks and force him to look at me. "Peeta." I say. He looks into my eyes and I nearly forget what I wanted to say. "You are handsome. Very handsome. Like, seriously, your _really_ handsome." I say and blush. He blushes too and chuckles. "You're the funniest person I've ever met." I say. "And I don't care you get jealous sometimes. It's actually really cute. Oh, and yes, you are weird. But so am I." I whisper.

He sighs and kisses me roughly. After a moment he leans back. "Katniss, I love you. Thank you. I love you _so_ much." He says and pulls me into his arms. We fall backwards and I lie on his chest, kissing him. His arms are wrapped around my waist, and my hands are feeling his chest. We lay there for a while, until I remember we're in the park. I lean back and try to regain my breath. I sit up and he does the same. He then grins at me. "You're the best girlfriend in the world, you know that?" He says and strokes my cheek. I smile at him. "Thanks." I whisper and give him a short kiss.

We sit and talk for another while. Then we get up and walk around. We also walk through town. By the time we get back to Peeta's house, it's already dinner time. We go into the living room and sit down. Rye walks in and smiles at us. "Hey Katniss, Peeta." He says and strokes his shirt. "Why are you dressed up like that?" Peeta asks. Rye looks back at us and grins. "I've got a date." He says and pulls his hand through his hair. Peeta stands up. "Oh my god, make a picture or something, this is amazing! Rye Mellark has a date! With a human!" He says and Rye punches his arm. Peeta laughs and sits down next to me again. He puts his arm on my shoulder.

"Yes, I do. Her name is Demi. We're going to the cinema." He says and straightens his collar. "Oh, you should take her to the romantic movie, I took Katniss today." He says and smiles at me. I turn to Rye. "Yeah, and he nearly cried." I say and smile. Rye laughs and Peeta glares at me. "I did not! It was popcorn!" He yells and Rye walks out, saying "Yeah, of course it was Peeta. It was popcorn."

I laugh and Peeta rolls his eyes. Then Mr. Mellark comes in. "Kids, I'm going to see one of my best friends in District 11. I'll be back by tomorrow evening. There's enough food here. Have fun." He says and walks out. Peeta grins mischievously at me. "My Mom's at a friends' house too." He says as his arm wiggles around my waist, gently pulling my closer to him. I laugh. "Let's have some dinner first, okay?" I say and give him a small kiss. He nods and we get up.

"How about we have some spaghetti together? I'm not really hungry.." He says and grabs a pan. "Sure." I say. I sit down and watch Peeta make the spaghetti. After twenty minutes or so it's done. He puts it on one big plate and carries it to the table. He gives me a fork and grabs one for himself too. "Dig in." He says and smiles. I have some spaghetti and it tastes amazing. We eat for a while. Then there's one really long piece. I eat it, and eat it, but the whole thing still isn't in my mouth. Then Peeta's lips are on mine and the string of spaghetti brakes. I lean back and chuckle. He just swallows and grins. Of course, he'd pick the food that has a kissing-possibility.

When we're finished I help him wash up and we go to the living room. We sit down and turn on the television. We watch this weird program about people in the capitol. I think it's called _Sweet 16_. All the girls just moan and yell because their 'daddy' didn't get them the right sports car. I roll my eyes and Peeta just laughs at it. When it's over, it's already quite late. "Shall we go upstairs?" Peeta says and grins. "Okay." I say as he grabs my hand. We walk upstairs and he closes the door behind us.

"How about we play a game." He says and grins mischievously. "Fine, but no Truth or Dare." I say and he chuckles. "No, no Truth or Dare. I know another game." He says. "Explain." I say. "Well, it's called 'making out'. You see, you have to kiss each other, and yeah, that's about it." He says and grins. I laugh. "Can I lend a shirt to sleep in?" I ask. He licks his lips quickly. "Sorry, don't have any t-shirts." He says and grins again. I roll my eyes. "Oh come on, don't pretend you don't want to sleep half-naked." He says and I feel myself blush. He smiles. "Exactly." He says.

He then suddenly just takes off his shirt. I stare at him and feel my knees weaken. He holds the shirt in his hand and looks at me. He sees me staring and grins, blushing a bit. I loved seeing him blush. How could I make him blush more?

I grin and take off my shirt. His jaw drops and he blushes a deep red. I take off my shorts as well. "Well, I'm ready for bed." I say and sit down. He blinks and closes his mouth. He takes off his pants as well and sits next to me. He then suddenly tickles me. "Peeta, stop it!" I yell. His hands tickle my waist and I can't stop laughing. "Peeta, this isn't funny!" I stutter while laughing. After a few minutes he stops and grins. I glare at him. "That wasn't nice." I say. "Oh, like you could stay angry at me for more than five minutes." He says and grins.

Pffft. Who did he think he was? I snort and turn around. "Five minutes it is. Your time starts now." I say and turn to the wall. I hear him laugh and stand up. He sits behind me, putting me in between his legs. He then takes my hair out of it's braid. He puts my hair over my shoulders and then starts kissing the back of my neck slowly. His hands travel from my legs to my waist. His hands feel warm and my skin tingles where he touches it. His hands then slide over my belly. He then stops under my breasts.

He kisses my shoulders and I shiver. He then stands up and stands in front of me. He runs one of his hands through my hair and then stares at me. I could kiss him right now. Just stand up and wrap my arms around his neck. _No, Katniss. Focus. It's only five minutes._ He slowly pushes my back on to the bed and crawls on top of me. I stare at the ceiling and try to ignore him. Which is hard, if he's lying on top of you.

He kisses my belly, and then my chest above my bra, and then my neck, my jaw, and he stops at my mouth. "Katniss.." He then whispers huskily. "I love you Katniss." He whispers seductively. He kisses my jaw again, while his hands touch my whole body. They go from in between my knees, up to my panties, they draw patterns on my belly, and gently touch my bra. In the end he just rests his hands on my waist. He leans his face towards mine and forces me to look into his eyes. His face is an inch from mine and he licks his lips slowly. He runs his hands through my hair and brushes my cheek with his thumb.

"I want you Katniss." He then whispers, and I feel his breath tickling my lips. I give up. I still had like, two minutes or something, but I don't care. I couldn't take this torture anymore. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me. I kiss him roughly, and I feel him grin. He swiftly turns us around, so I'm on top. He rests his hands just under my bum, sort of just under my panties, and nearly in between my legs. I blush at his touch.

We kiss for ages, his hands moving all the time. I grind into him once, which makes him groan. "Ugh Katniss, I love you.." he murmurs. I grin and kiss him again. He squeezes my butt softly and his hands travel up my waist again. His puts his hands on my bra and sighs into our kiss. I lean back. "What?" I ask, feeling insecure. "I love you so much." He says and stares at me with what I'm sure is lust in his eyes. He puts his hand under one of me legs and hitches it up a bit. Then his hand travels up, and stops just under my panties again.

He notices my cheeks go red, and he grins. "What would happen if.." He whispers. I then feel his hand go up my back. He puts his hand on my shoulder. He puts one finger under one of my bra-straps, and I freeze. He softly tugs at it, and it falls on my arm. He does the same with the other and then stops. I see his cheeks go red and his breathing is going quick. I know he wants to go further. But do I?

I know the answer. I reach behind my back and unclasp my bra. Peeta freezes and stops breathing, I think. I take my bra off and throw it onto the ground. He stares at me for ages. His cheeks go a dark red and he gasps. I give him a small kiss. He grabs my head and kisses me roughly and passionately. Then his hands explore again. They go from my legs, to my waist,and stop just under my breasts. He then looks at me. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" He asks. I just kiss him again and grab one of his hands. I lay it one of my breasts and I can literally feel his heart beat quicker and quicker.

His hands first give them a soft squeeze, and he just feels them. Then he starts rubbing, and I think I'm going to explode. It feels amazing, and his touch leaves a tingly sensation. I feel something in the bottom of my belly and I grind into him again. He groans and rubs my breasts harder, playing with my nipples at the same time. He rolls them between his fingers. Then he does something I wouldn't have ever imagined him doing. He kisses my breasts. They're soft, fragile kisses at first. Then he opens his mouth slightly and puts them between his lips, softly squeezing them.

I softly moan, involuntarily. His lips go back up to my face and he kisses me like there's no tomorrow. His hands just rest on my breasts. So now and then I grin into him, and he groans. Then he suddenly freezes and leans back. "What's wrong?" I ask. He sighs. "Give me a second." He says and tries to get up. I look down and see something in his underpants. I suddenly see my own hand reaching towards his underpants. He freezes and I touch him. I feel him. Wow.

I squeeze softly. Then I rub a bit. He groans, loudly, and throws his head back. "Jezus, Katniss.." He murmurs. I feel the lump getting bigger and bigger. After a while he sits up and kisses my neck. "Thank you. Thank you _so_ much. But I'll be back in a second, otherwise I'll have to change my underwear." He says and blushes. I nod and he goes into the bathroom. I can't believe I just did that. The whole scene.. it was amazing.

A few minutes later he comes back, and the lump is gone. He pushes me onto my back and kisses me. "I love you." He says in between kisses. "That was the best feeling ever. I love you, Katniss." He says. I chuckle. "I know you do." I say and get up. I climb over to the pillow-side of the bed and get under the quilts. He follows me and pulls me into his arms. He gives me a long kiss. Then he lies us down and I snuggle into his chest. He kisses my hair once and then sighs. "Thank you Katniss. Not only for today, but for everyday." He whispers. I smile and give him a small kiss on the cheek.

I put my head on the pillow and close my eyes. The last words I hear, are "Good night, sweetheart."

**Author's Note: hi! I'm sorry, I know, I'm mean. They nearly made love. I know you all want them to. You horny creeps. Hahahha, only kidding :) As you maybe noticed, I changed the rating to M. I'm sorry if there are a lot of typo's in this chapter, but I didn't have time to re-read it all before I uploaded it! Anyway, next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Saturday evening!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note: Hi guys. Today I got a review which said I had 'stolen' the concept of Katniss' mom and Peeta's dad getting married or having feelings for each other, from some story I hadn't veer seen/read before. I'd just like to say that I haven't ever stolen any idea's or fanfictions. And, there are probably a load of fanfictions with a bit of Mrs. Everdeen & Mr. Mellark love in it. I just wanted to write about it, I didn't steal it from anyone. I couldn't believe someone was accusing me of stealing or '_plagiarism_', it actually even kinda hurt my feelings. **

**But yeah, anyway, here's chapter 24, my dearest readers. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 24_

**Katniss' POV**

I wake up and still feel Peeta's arms around me. _Yes_, he didn't wake up yet. I open my eyes and see Peeta staring at the ceiling. "Good morning." I whisper. He turns his head and looks at me. He smiles and strokes my cheek with his fingers. "Good morning." He whispers back. I yawn and stretch my back. I then remember I have no bra on, so I pull the quilts a bit higher. "Have you been awake for long?" I ask. He shrugs. "About half an hour." He says. "Then why didn't you get up or something?" I ask. He smiles at me. "I thought I'd rather stay in bed with you in my arms." He says and I smile.

He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and then stands up. He goes in to the bathroom and I quickly grab my bra and put it on. I then put on my shorts and t-shirt. Peeta comes back a few moments later and does the same. We then walk downstairs and grab some breakfast. We sit down at the table. Then Rye comes in with a big grin on his face. "I see you had a fun date." Peeta says and Rye nods. "She's really nice. And, we made out for like, fifteen minutes or something." He says and grins smugly.

I accidentally laugh, thinking of how jealous Rye would be if he heard how long Peeta and I make out sometimes. If he thought fifteen minutes was long... I quickly put my hand over my mouth and stop laughing. Rye looks at me. "What?" He asks. I look at Peeta and see him grin at me. I know he's thinking the same. "Nothing. Wow. You must be so happy, fifteen minutes is a long time." I say and Peeta nods. Rye nods and smiles again. He then walks out of the room and we start laughing.

"Fifteen whole minutes." Peeta says and shakes his head, still laughing. After a while we stop laughing and finish our breakfasts. We go into the living room and Peeta pulls me onto his lap. We talk for a while and laugh. Suddenly, Peeta's mother walks into the room. "Peeta, what are you doing with _her_ on your lap?" She hisses and glares at me. I glare back at her. "Mom, what are you doing, you weren't supposed to be back till this evening." Peeta says. His mother shrugs. "I decided to come back early. Now get her off your lap, you two disgust me." She says and puts up her nose.

Peeta's silent for a moment. He then puts his arms around my waist and pulls me closer. "No." He says and glares at his mother. His mother's jaw drops and her eyes narrow. "What did you just say?" She whispers. "No." Peeta says and smirks. His mother slowly walks over to the sofa, until she's standing a few meters from us. "Get her _out_ of this house right now, or I'll-" She yells, but Peeta interrupts her. "Or you'll what? Kick me out of the house? Slap me? Slap Katniss? You know that if you do something, Dad will get angry and put you out on the streets. He's had enough of your crap. And so have I. So just go away and leave us alone and I won't tell Dad about this little scene." He says calmly. His mother looks shocked.

After a few moments she blinks and glares at me for a moment. Then she turns around and walks into the kitchen. I turn around and see Peeta grinning smugly. "I've been wanting to do that for a while now." He says and I chuckle. "I'm sorry if it was my fault she got angry." I whisper. He sighs and puts his thumb under my chin, and forces me to look at him. "Katniss, it isn't ever your fault. She's just a moody cow who doesn't like anyone, so she screams about everything." He says and I laugh.

He then gives me a short kiss. "You know, in five weeks we'll be in District 4." He then says and I grin and nod. We were both really looking forward to it. I couldn't wait to see Gale, Finnick and Annie again. And I bet Madge couldn't wait to see Gale either. "Peeta, we haven't told Madge yet that we're going to four." I say and Peeta frowns. "You're right. Shall we go and tell her now?" He asks and I nod. I stand up and hold his hand.

We walk outside and to Madge's house. It wasn't that far away. After a while we get there and Peeta knocks on the door. One of the cleaners opens. "Hi, can we talk to Madge please?" Peeta asks. The cleaner looks at us for a moment and then nods. She turns around and a few moments later Madge is standing in the doorway, in her pajamas and with messy hair. She rubs her eyes and yawns.

"Well, good morning." I say and Peeta chuckles. Madge blinks and looks at us both with tired eyes. "I just woke up, why are you here?" She asks. "Oh, we just wanted to tell you that we're going to District 4 in five weeks." I say casually and shrug. Peeta nods slightly. Madge stares at us for a moment. Then she blinks again and it's like she's awake. "No way! Are you guys serious?" She yells and puts one hand in her hair. Peeta nods and smiles.

She stares at us for a moment and then gives us a big grin. She turns around and walks away. I look at Peeta and he shrugs. A few minutes later she comes back with a phone. "Yes, they just told me! Why didn't you tell me? .. Aahw. Okay.. Yeah.. Haha no... Okay, talk to you later. Bye!" She says and clicks on a button. She then grins at us again. "We're going to District 4!" She says and jumps up and down.

Peeta chuckles and nods. Then we hear someone call us. I turn around and see Louis in his car, riding towards us. "Shit! See you guys later." Madge says and slams the door shut. I laugh and turn around. We walk up to Louis, who's just parking. "Hey! Where's Madge?" He asks and looks at the door. I look at Peeta. "Um, she's sick, so she sent us away. You better not go to her, you might get sick as well. And she's trying to rest." Peeta says. Wow, he was really a good liar. Louis frowned for a moment and nodded. "Oh, okay. I think I'm going to go home then." He says and starts the engine again. I grin. "Okay, Louis. See you soon." I say and wave. He waves back and drives away.

"He drove all the way here, just to see Madge? Wow." I say and Peeta nods. "Well, he likes her. If I didn't live next to you, I'd take the train to another District everyday to see you as well." He says and smiles shyly. I smile and look down. I softly squeeze Peeta's hand. "Have I ever told you how glad I am that you live next to me?" I say and smile. He grins and puts his hands on my waist. He then leans in and give me a kiss. My hands rest on his chest and we just stand there. After a few moments he leans back and we walk again, like nothing happened.

"So, back to school tomorrow." Peeta says and looks sad. I sigh. The holiday went by so quickly. "Yep." I say and frown. Why did we even have to go to school? It's not like we had much choice of what we wanted to be when we grew up anyway. About 90% of the kids that graduated worked in a shop in town for the rest of their lives, on a farm, or in the coal mines or something similar. Only a few children, who had the money and time, could go to a university and then become a doctor or something. Peeta could do that. Go to university. Get a good job, earn enough money to feed his family. Have a successful, happy life.

"What?" He asks. I shrug. "Nothing." I say and squeeze his hand softly. We walk back to my house and when we walk in I see Prim came home. We walk into the living room, and she's sitting on the sofa. "Hi little duck. Have fun at Rue's?" I say. She looks over at us and smiles. "Hi. Yeah, we had a load of fun. Have fun at Peeta's?" She asks. I think of what we did last night and blush. I see Peeta looking down and blushing slightly as well.

"Yeah, we had a load of fun. Watched some television.. and stuff." I murmur. Prim raises her eyebrows for a second and then shakes her head and laughs. We then walk into the kitchen and have some lunch. "You know," I say, while chewing my bread, "Madge is going to annoy the hell out of us for five weeks now." I say and Peeta nods, chuckling. We finish our lunch. Then Peeta looks at my mouth. He leans in and I think he's going to kiss me.

Instead, he licks next to my mouth. He then pulls back and licks his lips. I look at him with a confused face. He grins. "There was some jam, so I got it off for you." He says. I laugh. "You couldn't just do it with your thumb or a napkin?" I ask and raise my eyebrows. Peeta raises his shoulders and shakes his head. "Not really." He says and grins. I roll my eyes and smile. He then grabs my hand and we walk outside, to his house.

He drags me up to the bedroom and closes the door behind him. He puts his hands on my waist and kisses me passionately and slowly. I lay my hands on his chest and kiss him back. We kiss for a while, then he leans back. He grins at me and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. He then gives me a quick kiss on my head and turns around. "Katniss, can you help me?" He asks as he moves some things on the ground.

"Help you with what?" I ask. "Help me find my schoolbag. I can't remember where I left it." He says. I look around and laugh. The place was a mess. There were drawings and paintings all around the room, clothes, dirty and clean, and just some random stuff. I sigh. "Alright." I say and start picking some things off the floor.

After twenty minutes of rummaging through his stuff, I finally find it. "Got it." I say and grin, holding it up. He turns around and sighs of relief. He walks over and gives me a quick kiss. "Thank you. It would of taken me an hour if you didn't help." He says and smiles. I hand him the bag. He grabs some schoolbooks and looks around for some papers. I notice his notebook and think of the first time I was in here, and I saw that he had drawn me. I glance at Peeta and see he's still looking for something in the corner.

I silently grab the notebook and look for that drawing again. It was beautiful. Much prettier than I actually am. I then wonder what else he has drawn. I turn the pages, seeing beautiful doodles and sketches. I then see a picture of Rue and Prim, playing outside. It's amazing. It actually looks like a photo. "This is beautiful." I whisper. He turns around and walks over. "Oh, you're looking in my notebook again." He says and rolls his eyes. "Peeta, this is really amazing. It's beautiful." I say and smile at him.

He smiles at me as well and puts one of his arms around my waist. "Thank you." He says and gives me short kiss. His eyes then go wide. He looks at me with a grin. "Can I draw you? Now?" He asks. "Um, why? I-" "Please, Katniss, just a quick sketch?" He asks and puts both of his arms around my waist. I sigh. "Okay. But I'm not much of a model." I say. He grins and tells me to sit on a chair.

I sit down. I put my hands on my lap. Then I cross my arms on my chest. I put them next to my legs, and tangled into each other, but nothing seems right. What do I do with my arms?

Peeta looks at me and laughs. "Just put your arms on your lap or something." He says. I do as he says and he grabs a chair and sits opposite me, with his notebook and a pencil in his hands.

"Now, just relax." He says and smiles. I nod. "Do I have to smile or something?" I ask. He laughs. "No, it's easier for you if you just look normally." He says. I nod again. "Okay, chin up a bit." He says and I tilt my head up a bit. "Perfect." He says and starts drawing. A few minutes later Peeta looks really concentrated. His eyes are narrowed and his tongue is sticking out a bit. I chuckle, he looks so cute. He doesn't seem to notice.

About twenty minutes later he leans back and smiles. "Finished." He says. "About time." I murmur and stand up. He hands me the notebook and I gasp. "A quick sketch?" I say and raise my eyebrows. Peeta had drawn me perfectly. All the little details, shadows, everything was just perfect. He grins. "That's beautiful Peeta." I say and he stands up and puts his hands on my cheek. "Thanks." He says and leans in. He gives me a long kiss.

Then we sit down on his bed and talk. About school, District 4, our family. After a while I notice it's getting dark. "I have to go." I say. I stand up and Peeta pouts. I chuckle and brush his cheek. "Are you picking me up at eight?" I ask and he nods. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then." I say and give him a long kiss. When I lean back, he won't let go of my waist. "Peeta." I say and raise my eyebrows. He sighs and gives me one quick kiss, then let's me go. We walk downstairs and he insists on walking me home.

We walk out. "I don't understand why you always insist on walking me home." I say and he grins. We stop on my porch and he gives me a kiss. "That's why." He says and turns around. "I'll see you tomorrow!" He says and waves at me. I wave back and walk in. I have dinner with Prim and my mother, and then go straight up to bed.

I search for my schoolbag and put all of my books and papers in it. I then set my alarm clock for the morning. Ugh. I have a quick shower and put on my pajamas. I then lie on my bed. I realize I'm really tired. I lie under my quilts and turn the lights off. I fall asleep quickly, not wanting the morning to come.

**Author's Note: Hi, I'm sorry this is such a short, boring chapter. I just didn't really know what to write, and I had to hurry because I have some reeaaally important exams next week which I have to learn for :( But anyway, next chapter will be up by Sunday evening, and very maybe tomorrow! **


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: Hi everyone, I'm really sorry I didn't update yesterday! I'm just really busy right now, studying and stuff :( But, here's chapter 25, enjoy! Oh and by the way, I'm skipping 5 weeks, because nothing interesting is going to happen in those weeks anyway.**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 25_

_5 week later  
_

**Katniss' POV**

My alarm clock goes off and I nearly jump out of bed. Today we were going to go to District 4, and I couldn't wait. But first, school. I have a long shower and put on a pair of shorts and a red tank top. I braid my hair again and then walk downstairs. I walk into the kitchen and make myself some breakfast. I then walk into the living room and sit next to Prim, opposite my mother. "Morning." I say. "Good morning Katniss." My mother says and smiles slightly.

"Prim, are you sure you'll be okay for a few days? I don't have to go to District 4, I can always stay here." I say with a worried voice. Prim just shakes her head. "Katniss, I'll be fine. Really. Anyway, Mom will be here most of the time. So it's not like I'll be on my own. You just have fun in District 4, and don't worry about me, okay?" She says and puts her hand on my shoulder. I sigh and nod. "Okay." I say. Prim smiles and walks out of the room.

I look at my mother. "You're going to stay here for those few days, aren't you?" I whisper. She nods. I nod as well and finish my breakfast. Before I walk out, I turn to my mother again. "Look after her. I mean, really look after her. Make sure she's safe and has her dinner on time, and goes to bed and stuff. Like a mother should anyway. Okay?" I say. My mother looks down and nods. I walk out and put my plate in the kitchen. I hear a car honk and I grab my bag.

Prim comes running down the stairs and gives me a big hug. "Have a great time in District 4. And when you come back, bring the sun with you!" She says and smiles. I chuckle. "Thanks, and I will." I say and give her a kiss on the top of her head. I then walk out and into Peeta's car. "Good morning." He says and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning." I say and smile. He starts the car and we ride to school.

"So, are you packed and ready for later?" He says and I nod. I had been packed for a few days now. "Me too." He says and grins. After a while we're at school and we wait for Madge. A few moments later she's running towards us. "We're going to District 4 later!" She yells and jumps around. Peeta and I laugh, she had been doing this every morning for five weeks now. We walk to our class and sit down.

The teacher starts talking and Madge hands me a note.

_What if Gale isn't happy to see me?_

I sigh and roll my eyes.

_You're all he's been talking about in his letters. Believe me, he can't wait to see you. _I write and give it back. She reads it and smiles.

The day goes by slowly, and it seems like every class is five hours long. It's very frustrating. When the final bell goes, Madge and I run to our locker. We put our books in our locker and then walk outside to Peeta's car, where he's already starting the engine. We both get in and ride to Madge's house. She picks up her bag and then we go to mine and Peeta's houses. Peeta parks the car. We quickly grab our bags and then walk towards the train station.

"In less than 4 hours we'll be in District 4!" Madge squeals. We walk to the train station. After a while we're there. We find our train and sit down. The train is nearly empty, as it's only 12 o'clock and most people are still at work or school. I sit down next to Peeta, and Madge sits down opposite us. After ten minutes the train starts riding. Madge pulls out a big make-up bag. She starts brushing her hair and putting on some mascara. Peeta rolls his eyes. "Madge, Gale fell in love with you when you had barely any make-up on. You don't need all that mascara and eyeshadow-stuff." He says.

Madge frowns and puts her hand down. "I suppose you're right." She murmurs and starts taking most of it off. After a while she puts the bag away. "We still have at least three hours." She then says. I nod. Three hours was quite a long time if you had nothing to do. Peeta sighs. "What if when I'm there, Gale realizes he actually doesn't like me and goes out with someone else?" Madge then asks.

I laugh and shake my head. "Madge, stop being silly." I say. She frowns and looks out of the window. "How about we play a game?" Peeta then says and grins. "Okay." Madge says. "Okay, so we all have to say as much things as we can about the other person. Everything you know about that person, you have to say. The one that knows most, wins." He says. "That's not fair, you know everything about me." I say. He shrugs. "Okay, I'll begin saying everything I know about you, Peeta." Madge says.

"You're name is Peeta Mellark. You're 16 years old. You have two brothers, Rye and Leo. You're father used to be a baker, and you can bake brilliantly as well. You can also paint. You have a car. You're dating Katniss Everdeen," She says and smiles at me, "You love her. You also have a good friend named Madge Undersee. You think she's amazing." She says and we laugh.

"Well, very well done Madge, but I think I know more." I say and grin. "Go on then." Madge says. I nod. "Okay, well, Peeta Mellark, 16 years old, blue eyes, two brothers, Rye and Leo, a father named Jonathan and a _lovely_ mother." I say and he laughs. "Your dating me. You love me. Your honest, brave and sweet. Your favorite color is sunset orange. You always double-tie your shoelaces. You're a baker. You paint. You always sleep with your window open. And you never take sugar in your tea." I say.

Madge stares at me with her mouth slightly open. "Wow, Katniss. Have you been stalking him or something?" She says and laughs. Peeta brushes my cheek softly. He gives me a quick kiss. "Okay, I'll say what I know about Katniss. I think I'll beat you this time, Peeta. I've known her much longer than you." Madge says and grins.

"Katniss Everdeen. You're 16 years old, have a little sister named Prim, and a boyfriend named Peeta Mellark. You love him. You both make out a lot. You have an awesome friend named Madge, who you trust completely and tell all your secrets. You can hunt. Your other best friend before Peeta moved here was Gale Hawthorne. You love chocolate. And you hate Buttercup." She says.

I nod. "That's quite right Madge. Except for the 'awesome friend named Madge' bit." I say and grin. She puts out her tongue and smiles as well. Peeta turns to me, and puts my hands in between his. "Katniss Everdeen, 16 years old. You have a little sister named Primrose and a mother named Suzanne. You're dating some handsome guy named Peeta Mellark. You love him. He loves you. You can hunt. You've been hunting for 4 years. You're favorite color is green. You adore chocolate. You have a weird, crazy friend named Madge. You always put your hair in a braid. You're beautiful. You hate Buttercup. And you _love_ making out with me." He says and grins. I laugh and give him a kiss on the cheek.

Madge slaps Peeta's arm. "I'm not weird!" She says and Peeta laughs. Then Peeta starts talking again. "Madge Undersee. 16 years old, the mayor's daughter. Has an entertainment-room in her mansion, along with a load of games, sauna and swimming pool. You love Gale Hawthorne, whom you are currently dating. You have two cool friends called Katniss and Peeta. Peeta is the coolest guy you know. You think he's amazing and dream of getting his autograph some day. You have a _friend_ called Louis. And you love strawberries." He says and grins. We burst out laughing.

"Oh, yeah Peeta, you're the coolest guy I know." Madge says in between laughing. "I don't think I can actually add anything to that." I say. Peeta grins again. "Well, I think I win then." Peeta says. "Oh my god, you won, can I have your autograph?" Madge says and we all start laughing again.

We talk for another while. Then Madge goes to the bathroom. "Behave yourselves while I'm gone." She says and walks out. Peeta rolls his eyes and pulls me closer. He starts kissing me and I put my arms around his neck. He leans back and smiles. "We know quite a lot about each other, don't we?" He says. I nod. It was weird. I've only known him for nearly three months. He gives me one last kiss and then let's go, because Madge is walking back in.

She sits down and we all talk again. Ugh, the time was going by so slowly today. Like nobody actually wanted us to go to District 4. After what seemed like years, the train finally started slowing down. We all look out of the window and gasp. The first thing you saw was the beach. The sand was gold and the sea was a bright blue. There were a load of people in bikini's, and I suddenly realize I'm really warm. After another ten minutes we're at the train station and it finally stops. We walk towards the doors. Suddenly Madge stops and looks at me with a scared face.

"Madge, it'll be okay." I say and squeeze her hand. She nods and clears her throat. She then quickly adjusts her hair. "Ready?" Peeta asks. We nod and he opens the door. We walk out and I feel a wave of heat hitting me. I look around and see Finnick, Annie and Gale standing at the other side of the platform. "Hey, guys!" Peeta yells and waves. Finnick spots us and tells the others. Gale runs over to us and picks Madge up. He kisses her and I smile. Finnick and Annie walk over to us. "Katniss!" Annie squeals and gives me a tight hug. I chuckle. "Hi Annie." I say and she smiles. Then she goes over to Peeta.

I suddenly feel somebody picking me up. "Hi Katniss!" Finnick says and I laugh. He puts me down and I smile at him. "Hey Finnick." I say and he grins. I look over at Gale and Madge, and see they're in the exact same place and position, still kissing each other. I walk over to them and say hi. They both just ignore me. I clear my throat. "Hi Gale." I say loudly. He leans back and smiles at Madge. Then he turns around and sees me. "Hi Katniss!" He says and picks me up like Finnick did. He puts me down again and tucks some hair behind my ear. "How are you?" He asks. "Fine." I say and look at Madge. Her cheeks are dark red and she looks extremely happy.

Gale says hi to Peeta, and they give each other a quick hug. Then we walk towards the beach. Gale and Madge walk in front, holding each others hands. Peeta and Finnick are walking behind them, talking and laughing, and Annie and I are walking behind. "Don't you think they are just the _cutest_ couple?" She says and smiles towards Gale and Madge. I nod. Annie chuckles. "Gale, Katniss think so too!" She yells. Gale turns around and smiles at me. He then walks on again, talking to Madge.

We walk for ten minutes. I then notice a gigantic house, right next to the beach. "My god, is that your house?" I yell. Gale turns around and smiles. "Yeah." He yells back. We walk in and Peeta, Madge and I gasp. The house was enormous. It had the highest ceiling I've ever seen, and a load of windows, which made the house look very bright and welcoming. The walls were a light blue, with big white pillars, and it had a wooden floor. "This is the most beautiful house I've ever seen." Peeta whispers. Gale smiles. "Thanks. You can put your bags here." He says and gestures towards the corner. He puts down Madge's bag, which he had been carrying for her.

We then all sit down around a big table and have some sandwiches. "So, for how long are you staying?" Finnick asks. "Four nights. We're leaving on Tuesday." Peeta says and I nod. "Great! Then we'll have time to do stuff!" Annie says. "Like what?" I ask. "Well, you just _have_ to go to the beach. No one leaves District 4 without having been to the beach." Finnick says and Gale and Annie nod. "And there's an amusement park here." Annie says. I gasp. I thought they only had those in the capitol.

"Really?" Peeta asks. Annie nods and grins. "They just finished building it a few weeks ago. We can go later if you want?" She says and we all nod. We then finish our sandwiches. Rory, Gale's little brother walks in with a big bag. "Hi Katniss, Finnick, Annie." He says and stares at Peeta and Madge. He then grins at his brother and walks over to Madge. "Ah, you must be Madge." He says.

Gale looks at him with a worried face. Madge nods. "Nice to meet you, Madge. I'm Rory. Gale has told me all about you. He-" Gale runs up to him and puts his arm around his head, with his hand on Rory's mouth. Madge blushes and Gale does too. Rory wriggles out and runs to the other side of the room. "Whenever he's on the phone with you he always smiles and looks dreamy and stuff." He says and Gale runs after him. Rory runs around the table. "He loves-" Gale grabs him and puts his hand over his mouth again. "Goodbye, Rory. Have fun in District 5." He says and carries him to the living room. He then locks the door and walks back with his hand on the back of his neck.

Finnick, Annie, Peeta and I are just grinning like idiots. This was hysterical. Gale walks up to Madge and stands in front of her. "He, uh, yeah, um-" He blushes and stutters some things. Madge stands up and gives him a small kiss on the cheek. Gale's shoulders drop and Madge leans back. They both sit down again and we all laugh. Gale just smiles while he finishes his sandwich.

We all finish and stand up. "Amusement park?" Annie asks. We all nod and walk outside. I thought we were going to walk, but Gale walks into a garage behind the house. When he comes back, he's in a gigantic, black jeep with no roof and six seats. "Hop in." He says and grins. I raise my eyebrows and climb in. "Yeah, having a rich soon-to-be-stepfather has its benefits." He says and I chuckle. Gale sits in the drivers seat, and next to him sit Madge and Annie. In the back there's me, Finnick and Peeta in the middle.

We start driving and Peeta puts his arm on my shoulders. I lean my head on his shoulder and look at District 4 as it passes us by. It was beautiful. Compared to District 12, it was like heaven. It was really warm and sunny, and the whole place just looked... friendly. After about half an hour, Gale parks the car and we walk to a big entrance. Gale's about to pull out his wallet, but Finnick stops him.

"Let me." He says and winks. He walks up to one of the girls selling the tickets. "Hi Suzie." He says and leans against a wall. The girl turns around and gasps. "Hi Finnick! I can't believe you still know my name, we haven't been in the same classes for ages!" She says and looks at him with big eyes. I look at Annie and she rolls her eyes. "Yeah, I miss those times. Anyway, my friends and I we're wondering if we could get in-" She puts up her hand. "Of course. Here are six tickets. Have fun!" She says and looks at Finnick with a smile that would make anyone feel sick. "Thank you." He says and brushes her cheek. We all walk in and leave a sighing Suzie behind us.

"Works every time." Finnick says as Peeta gives him a high five. Annie slaps his arm softly but then smiles at him. We walk and I gasp. This was unreal. I had never, _ever _seen anything like it before. "What do you want to go on first?" Gale asks. Peeta points towards a big roller coaster. We walk to it and wait for a few minutes. Then it's our turn. I sit down next to Peeta, Finnick sits next to Annie and Gale sits next to Madge. I see Madge is a bit scared. But Gale grabs her hand and gives her a quick kiss. She relaxes and they sit down.

After a few moments the bars go down around our waist. Peeta grabs my hand and squeezes softly. The roller coaster starts moving and we're going up. We then just keep going up, and up, and up. After a while we can see miles away. We can even see Gale's neighborhood. The roller coaster stops going up and goes straight. Then it stops. "Is this supposed to happen?" Peeta asks. Finnick looks around and nods, grinning. Suddenly we're going down quickly and I scream. I squeeze Peeta's hand and I really feel like I'm flying. We make a few loops and turns, and after a few minutes we're back to where we started. The roller coaster stops and the bars go up. I look at Peeta and see him staring at our hands painfully. I realize I'm still squeezing Peeta's hand.

I let go and Peeta sighs of relief. He rubs his hand and I say sorry and give him a kiss. We all walk towards another few roller coasters and other things. After a few hours we sit down on a bench and have some fries. "How's your hand doing?" Finnick asks Peeta and I slap Finnicks arm. They all laugh and Peeta grins at me. "I didn't squeeze it that hard." I murmur. Peeta snorts. "You nearly broke every bone!" He says and everyone laughs again. I roll my eyes and finish my fries.

We all finish and Gale looks at a big clock at the entrance. "Okay, we have time for about one more ride. What are we going to go on?" He asks. Finnick points towards a tunnel saying '_The love boat_'. Peeta and Gale grin and we walk towards it. We wait for a few minutes until its our turn. Three heart-shaped boats turn up, and we climb into them. We go into a dark tunnel, and suddenly I can't see anything anymore. I feel something tugging at my waist and I laugh. The boys were so silly. They actually made us all go into some boats just to make out. I shake my head and find Peeta's face with my hands. I kiss him and his hands linger on my waist.

I hear silence from the boat behind us, which means Gale and Madge were having a good time. Suddenly I hear Annie yell something. "Finnick, don't pretend you have to feel your way to my face!" She yells and we all laugh. After about ten long minutes of kissing, we see a light and we're out of the tunnel again. Peeta helps me out of the boat and Finnick and Annie are out too. We turn around and see Madge and Gale are still sitting there making out.

I sigh. "Madge." I say. She doesn't respond. "Gale." I say. He doesn't respond. I look at Peeta and see him grinning mischievously. He grabs his water bottle and pours it over their heads. They lean back and gasp. They're both soaking wet and we give Peeta a high five. "Peeta!" Madge yells. Gale helps Madge out of the boat and then turns to Peeta. "Mellark, you're dead." He says and runs towards Peeta. Peeta laughs and runs away. They run around a corner and we all laugh. We decide to walk back to the car, they'd come back eventually.

"So, you had a good ten minutes with Gale?" I ask Madge and she blushes. "Oh shut up Katniss." She says. Finnick and Annie chuckle. We hop into the car. After fifteen minutes Peeta and Gale both come back, and they're now both soaked. Peeta hops in the car and sits between Finnick and I. "I love you guys." He says and puts his arms around both of us. "Dude!" Finnick says and tries to push him away. We both get soaked as well, and I see Madge has made Annie wet too.

We ride back to Gale's house, looking like we all just came out of the shower, and park the car. It's already getting quite late, the moon was out already. We walk in and put our pajamas' on. Then Gale and Finnick walk over to us. "How many mattresses do we need?" Finnick asks. I shrug. "Three. Definitely three." Peeta says and grins at me mischievously. I laugh and roll my eyes. Then Peeta, Gale and Finnick go upstairs to retrieve the mattresses. "You're sleeping with Gale on one mattress." I whisper to Madge and she freezes. The boys come back down and put down the mattresses. We do our teeth and get ready for bed.

Then Peeta puts his hands around my waist. "Well, goodnight everyone." He says and pulls me onto the mattress. I laugh and sit down next to him. We all say goodnight and I see Madge sit down next to Gale shyly. He pulls her in for a kiss and then they lie down next to each other. Finnick puts his arms around Annie and they lie down next to each other as well. But, of course, Peeta pulls me on top of him. I roll my eyes again and give him a kiss. "Goodnight everyone." Gale says and puts off the light.

Peeta puts his arms around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head. "Goodnight, sweetheart." He whispers. I smile and lay my head down on his chest. I smell the salty air and softly hear the waves in the distance, and I fall asleep thinking of what a lovely place it is.

**Author's Note: Hellooo, I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews. 257 already, like, wow. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. It will be some time tomorrow, Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm sorry if I don't update tomorrow, but I'm really busy. Thanks for reading the story, and don't forget to review! :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: Hi! Here's chapter 26, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 26_

**Katniss' POV**

I wake up to the smell of fried eggs. I take a deep sniff and open my eyes. Peeta's lying next to me with his arms behind his head, looking through the window. I move closer and put my chin on his chest. He turns his head and smiles when he sees I'm awake. "Good morning Peeta." I say. "Good morning." He says with a hoarse voice. He brushes my cheek softly and I smile. I then look around and see Gale isn't sleeping next to Madge.

Peeta follows my gaze. "He's in the kitchen, making breakfast." He says. Good. I was starving. I'm not sure if it was the salty air or just me, but I was really hungry since I came here. I stretch my arms and get up. Peeta gets up as well and grabs my hand. We walk to the kitchen. "Morning Gale." I say and put my arm around his neck. He looks up from his frying pan and smiles at us. "Morning." He says. "Egg?" He asks. We both nod and he puts some eggs on two plates. We say thank you and sit down.

Not much later Annie walks in and says good morning as well. Then Madge walks in, giving Gale a shy kiss on the cheek. And, when we're all nearly done, Finnick walks in. "Morning sweetie." Annie says and smiles at him. He looks up at her and rubs his eyes and yawns. "Uhu." He murmurs and sits down. I laugh. I thought I wasn't a morning person...

We wait till Finnick finishes his breakfast. Then he's a bit happier.. and awake. We talk for a while. Then Peeta asks what we're going to do today. Gale and Finnick grin. "Well, we wanted to take you all out for dinner in a posh restaurant." They say. Madge and Annie look at each other and grin excitedly. Oh no. I didn't like 'posh'. It would mean having to use table manners and I would probably have to wear a fancy dress or something. "That's a great idea." Peeta says and looks at me.

I frown. Everyone looks at me and laughs. It was five against one, I didn't really have a choice. "But first, I was thinking we could just go to the beach and have a picnic instead of lunch." Gale then says. I sigh of relief. At least that way we couldn't go dress shopping or anything. I smile at Gale and mouth a 'thank you'. He smiles and winks. The girls pout and I chuckle.

We all get dressed, and I decide to just put on my shorts and a tank top, like I always do. We also all put on our bikini's and swimsuits. Then Gale and Annie fill a picnic basket. After a while we're all ready to go. We walk out and to the beach. It's a three minute walk, and I'm suddenly a bit jealous of Gale. He was quite lucky to be able to live in District 4, right next to the beach.

We get to the sand part and I take off my shoes. The sand feels warm and silky underneath and between my toes. We walk for another while and then put down our blanket. We all sit down and take our clothes off. Gale drags Madge into the water, and Finnick and Annie lay in the sun. Peeta puts my hands in between his. "Would you like to go for a walk?" He asks and smiles. "Sure." I say and he helps me up.

We walk up to the water and then walk past it, with the water up to our ankles the whole time. Peeta sways our arms a bit and we walk slowly, enjoying our time. After a while we look back and realize we've walked a long time. We can just about see where Finnick and Annie are laying. Peeta stops and puts his arms around my waist. He tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear and brushes my cheek softly. His blonde hair looked amazing in the sun, as did his eyes. It was like District 4 made them look even brighter than they already were. Peeta leans in and gives me a soft, delicate kiss. When he leans back he smiles at me. "Isn't this just perfect?" He says and gestures around us. I nod and smile. He was right. This placewas perfect.

Peeta grabs one of my hands again and we walk back slowly. After a while we're back and we wave at Finnick and Annie, but they don't see us. Then I suddenly feel arms behind the back of my knees, pulling them up. I'm suddenly in the air, and I turn my head to see Peeta grinning at me. "Peeta, put me down!" I say and he shakes his head. I put my arms around his neck as he walks us deeper into the sea. After a moment I start feeling water. It was actually quite warm. I wriggle out of Peeta's arms and he lets me stand on my own.

He pulls me into his arms and kisses me. His arms hitch my legs up around his waist without any effort. I put my hands on his chest. Suddenly I feel something at the bottom of my foot. I jump and kick frantically. I then see Madge and Gale coming up from under the water. They both see my face and laugh. They give each other a high five and grin at me. "Very mature." I say and roll my eyes. Madge chuckles. We then all talk for a while and go back to Finnick and Annie. They haven't been in the water yet, so they're really warm. We sneak over to them and then give them a big hug.

Annie's eyes shoot open and she gasps. "You guys are freezing, get away from me!" She squeals. Madge and I laugh and hug her even tighter. After a while we let go and she shivers. She glares at us and slaps our arms softly. Then we look at Finnick and laugh. He's sitting there with an annoyed face, glaring at Peeta and Gale. Even Annie laughs. We sit down. Gale opens the picnic basket and pulls out a load of different sandwiches. I have about four and Peeta just raises his eyebrows and pokes my stomach. I laugh and push him away. He grins and starts tickling me.

"Peeta, come on, stop it!" I say in between laughing. He just keeps going on, and Madge or Annie or anyone don't even help. "Guys?" I say and look at them. They just grin. "You're on your own." Finnick says and bites into his sandwich. I keep laughing. I then lean in and give Peeta a quick kiss. He stops immediately and his hands rest on my waist. I lean back after a second and eat my sandwich again. Peeta blinks and rolls his eyes. Everyone laughs.

We finish everything in the picnic basket, and then decide to just lie down for twenty minutes. I put my towel down and lie down. Peeta puts his next to mine. Five minutes later, I feel fingers wriggling between mine. I open my eyes and see Peeta smiling at me. I give him a small kiss on the cheek and then close my eyes again. Peeta's thumb makes little patterns on the back of my hand and I feel totally relaxed. The soft wind blowing through my hair, the sounds of the waves and children laughing, the warm sun on my skin and Peeta's touch. It was perfect.

I think I fall asleep, because next thing I know, I open my eyes and everyone's sitting on the blanket talking. I get up and rub my eyes. "How long was I out for?" I ask as I sit down next to Peeta. He smiles and brushes my cheek. "Only half an hour. I was going to wake you up but you looked adorable." He says and grins. I roll my eyes and grin.

We get up and walk over to a little hut on the beach. We all get an ice cream, mine being chocolate flavored of course. We walk back to our blanket and have our ice creams, enjoying the beach. I accidentally get some on my nose. I'm about to wipe it away, but then feel Peeta's lips against my nose. I smile and he leans back, grinning at me. "It's handy having a personal cleaner." I say and he laughs.

We finish our ice creams and go into the water one more time. After a while we get up and dry ourselves. "It's four o'clock." Gale says and Madge and Annie grin. Oh no. This meant at least two hours of 'getting ready' for dinner. I sigh and we walk back to the house.

I'm about to go to the living room when Madge grabs my arm. "Where do you think you're going?" She asks. I shrug. "Living room?" I say. She shakes her head and Annie rolls her eyes. "Come on, let's get you ready for dinner." Madge says. "But-" "No, no buts." Annie says. They drag me into the living room and the boys look at us. "Listen, we'll be at Annie's, don't come with us. We'll be back in two hours." Madge says. The boys put their hands up. "Okay, have fun." Gale says and grins at me. I roll my eyes as Madge drags me out. "Shoot, Annie, the dresses." Madge then says.

Annie smiles. "You can lend one of mine." She says. We walk outside, without the boys even noticing us leaving, and go to Annie's house, which is just around the corner. We walk in and I realize this house is just as beautiful as Gale's. We go upstairs and walk into Annie's bedroom. Her bedroom was beautiful as well. She then opens a door and I gasp. "This _can't_ be your closet." Madge says as we walk in. It was nearly as big as her bedroom. Annie nods. She then gestures towards a wall with a load of different dresses. "Choose one." She says. She picks one herself and I sit down.

Madge stands for a moment and holds some dresses up against herself. She then decides to go with a light purple one, without straps. It ends just above her knees. I look at Annie's dress and see she chose a blue one with black straps and a black line at the bottom. It also ended just above her knees. They then both looked at me expectantly. "What?" I ask. Madge sighs and pushes me into the closet. "Can't I just wear my shorts and a t-shirt?" I try. They both laugh. I sigh and look at all the dresses. There were so many to choose from. I look at Madge and shrug.

Madge stands up and examines them all again. She then hands me five different dresses. "Try them on." She orders and walks out of the closet, closing the door. I sigh again and try on the first dress. It was a white one with lacy straps. I walk out and snort. "I don't think so." I say. They look at the dress. "It's actually quite nice." Madge says and Annie nods. I shake my head and walk back in, putting on the next dress. This one was quite similar to Annie's, only it was gray. I walk out and Annie shakes her head. "You look too gray. Your eyes are gray so you need something colorful." She says and Madge nods. I shrug and walk back in.

I try on a pink dress without straps. It was very tight and I could just close the zip at the back. I walk out and breathe out slowly. "This is lovely." Madge says. "I can barely breathe." I say and Annie laughs. I walk back in and try on the next one. It's a black one and ends under my knees. I walk out and they both shake their heads. "You look really old." Madge says and I stick out my tongue.

I go in and try on the last one. It's a red one with thin, little straps. It ends just above my knee. It had little glitters on it which made it look like it was on fire if I twirled. I look in the mirror and see it looks very tight. It feels perfect though. I walk out and Madge and Annie grin at each other. "Perfect." Annie says. I smile. They order me to take it off and I put my normal clothes back on.

Then I have a quick shower while they talk about make-up or something. When I'm shampooing my hair, Annie knocks on the door. "Don't forget to shave your legs!" She says and opens the door a little bit. I see her hand put a razor on the floor and then she closes the door again. I laugh and shave my legs quickly. I then get out and dry myself. I put on my clothes again and walk out.

I sit down next to Madge. Annie does her own make-up in record time and then sits down in front of me. "Okay, so I'm just going to give you a bit of mascara, eyeliner and a little bit of green eyeshadow. You won't need any blusher, I got a feeling your cheeks will be red enough tonight." She says and I chuckle. "Great. Now just close your eyes." She says. I close my eyes and she starts working.

After a while she leans back and tells me to open my eyes. I open my eyes and see her grinning at me. I turn around and nearly gasp. How could some make-up make my face look ten times better than it is? I turn around again and look at Annie. "Thanks Annie." I say and give her a small hug. She smiles. "Your welcome." She says. Then Madge stands up and stands in front of me. She nods approvingly. "Can I do your hair?" She then asks.

"What's wrong with my braid?" I ask. "Nothing, but didn't Peeta once mention he loved it when your hair was down?" She asks. She had a point, he did say that a few times. I nod and she smiles. She gently takes my hair out of its braid. She then starts brushing it. After making sure all the knots are out, she lays it on to my shoulders. She then stands in front of me and makes some little adjustments. She frowns. "What?" I ask. "I can't do anything with your hair, it's already done." She says and I laugh.

I watch Annie and Madge do their own hair and adjusting their make-up. Then we decide to put our dresses on. I gently pull it over my head, making sure I don't 'ruin' my hair, as Annie said. I flatten out the dress and look in the mirror. For some strange reason I really like this dress. I walk out and Annie and Madge smile at me. "You look really great. Peeta won't be able to keep his hands off of you." Annie says. Madge snorts. "He never can." She says. I slap her arm softly and then smile at them. "Thanks. You both look great as well." I say. "Ahw!" Annie says and gives me a hug. Madge stands up too and puts her arms around both of us, squishing me a bit.

Then Annie leans back. "Shoes." She says and pulls us into the closet. She opens a big drawer and I suddenly see hundreds of shoes. "Shoes." Madge whispers with desire. I chuckle as Annie hands me a pair of high heels. "Will these fit you?" She says. "I think so, but I won't be able to walk on these." I say and look at the height. Annie puts on some high heels herself, which are higher than mine, and so does Madge. They turn around and walk like they're on the catwalk. I laugh and shake my head. "Oh, no way. I'm not walking like that." I say.

They laugh and I put on the high heels. I then stand up slowly. I make a few steps and realize it's not that hard. I walk around for another while. Madge looks at me and shakes her head, looking at me with a hurt face. "Katniss, you're walking around like you're in the woods." She says. I roll my eyes. She shows me how to walk properly and I try it as well. After a while I get the hang of it. "Very good!" Annie says and smiles. Then Annie looks at the clock. "Shit, let's go, or we'll be too late." She says and grabs her keys. We walk to Gale's house and open the door without knocking.

We walk into the living room and find Finnick sitting on the sofa, wearing a light blue shirt, with buttons down the front. He's wearing black pants and black shoes. I also notice his hair is different. I look to the right and see Gale adjusting Peeta's collar for him. I smile and Gale notices us. He elbows Peeta and Peeta turns around. He's wearing a white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looks at me and his jaw drops. I blush as he walks over to me slowly. He puts his hands on my waist and puts his head against mine.

"You. Look. _Gorgeous._" He says and I smile. "You look pretty handsome as well." I say and he grins, with a faint red tint on his cheeks. He gives me quick kiss. Then I turn around and see Finnick and Annie holding hands, talking and laughing. I look to my right and see Madge blushing. Gale's smiling and whispering something in her ear. Then he gives her a kiss.

"Shall we go?" Finnick says. We all nod and walk to the garage. We get into Gale's car and ride to the restaurant. Peeta smiles at me and leans in to whisper something. "I love it when you have your hair down. You look wonderful." He grins and brushes my cheek. I smile and give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you." I whisper back. After another twenty minutes we're there. Gale parks the car and we all get out. Peeta holds my hand and we walk towards a fancy looking restaurant.

We walk in and I notice everyone looks very posh. I also notice their aren't any tables or chairs. We walk over to some doors and I realize they're lifts. We get in and go up for what seems like ages. When the doors open again, we walk out and into a round room with windows as walls. You could probably see whole District 4. You could also see the beach, and the city looked beautiful. It was starting to get dark already, so all the lights in town were going on.

We walk over to a man with a book in his hands. "Table for six please. Next to a window." Gale says and grins. We all roll our eyes as Gale chuckles. We walk over to the table. "Well I thought it was funny." Gale murmurs as we sit down. I sit next to Madge and she sits next to Annie, and the boys sit across from us. I look out of the window. It really was beautiful.

We order some drinks. Then we look at the menu. "I think I'm going to have the pasta. It's supposed to be really good." Finnick says. Madge orders some fish-special, and so do I. Gale and Annie order the lasagna, and Peeta orders pasta, like Finnick. We talk for a while and have a good time. Then our dinner comes. I take a bite of the fish and gasp. Finnick grins at me. "District 4 has the best fish in the whole of Panem." He says and Annie nods. It was amazing. It had so much flavor, and was so tasty.

"Is it nice?" Peeta asks and I nod. "Do you want to try a piece?" I ask. Peeta thinks for a moment. "Sure." He says. I smile and cut a piece. I put it onto my fork and slowly lift it up to Peeta's face. He opens his mouth and I put it in. He closes his mouth and I pull my fork out. He chews and he rolls his eyes dramatically. "This is amazing." He says and I nod. I give him another piece and he grins. "Thank you." He says.

Suddenly it's very dark outside. The sky was black and you could see the moon and the stars. A waiter puts some candles on our table and the lights dimmed a bit, making the place look very romantic. I saw Madge blush as Gale said something. I smile at her and she smiles back. We finish our dinners. Then it's time for desert. Gale orders us all a 'chocolate extravaganza'. I didn't know what that even meant, but it sounded good to me.

A few minutes later the waiter came back with 6 bowls. He put one In front of me and I gasped. It was three different kinds of chocolate ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top. There were also some strawberries. I look at Gale and mouth the words 'you're amazing'. He grins and grabs a spoon. I grab a spoon myself and dig in. God, it was heavenly. I'm finished as first and sigh, putting my hand on my belly. Peeta chuckles and finishes his own as well. After a few moments everyone's finished.

Suddenly the music gets a bit louder. It's a slow dance. Peeta stands up and puts out his hand, towards me. "May I dance with you?" He asks. Oh no. Please, no. He sees I'm not answering and pouts. I sigh and put my hand in his. He grins and drags me over to the middle of the room. "Peeta, everyone's looking at us." I whisper, looking around. We were the only one's 'dancing'. He shrugs. "I don't care." He whispers as he puts his hands on my waist.

I put my hands around his neck. "I'm a terrible dancer, Peeta. I'm sorry if I break your toes with these heels." I whisper and he chuckles. He brushes my cheek softly. He spins us around a bit, but mostly we're just swaying from side to side. I lay my head on his chest. This was one of the best nights of my life. It was just perfect. I look around and see Annie dragging Finnick over as well. I see Peeta putting his thumbs up to Gale and he smiles. He stands up and grabs Madge's hand. Madge looks up with bewildered eyes. Gale says something and she nods. They get up and dance as well.

We slow dance for another while. Then the song ends. Peeta gives me a soft kiss. Then some dance song comes on. I walk back to the chairs, but Peeta grabs my arm. "Come on, salsa with me!" He says and moves his feet in a way I never could with these shoes. I laugh and shake my head, but he pulls me closer to him and instructs me to move my feet like his. After a while I get the hang of it a bit. I see Madge showing Gale what to do. Then I see Finnick and Annie flying around the room, looking like they do this everyday. They were brilliant. Peeta and I dance, and Peeta leans me back, with his hands behind my back, holding me up. He gives me a quick kiss and then pulls me up again, twirling me into his arms.

We dance for another while until the song ends. We laugh and people actually clap for us. Well, probably for Finnick and Annie. They smile at the people and we walk back to our seats. Gale pays the bill, even if we all try and pay with him. "Don't worry, I'm practically rich now." He says and grins. We roll our eyes and then walk outside.

We get in the car and drive back home. Peeta holds my hand and we get out. Finnick, Annie, Madge and Gale go inside, but Peeta pushes me against the car softly. He leans himself against me and gives me a kiss on my jaw. "I love you. You're a brilliant dancer. And you looked beautiful tonight." He whispers huskily. I smile and brush the hair out of his eyes. "Thank you Peeta. I love you too." I whisper. He puts his arms around my waist and gives me a long kiss.

"Get a room or something." Finnick yells. We lean back and see Finnick standing in the doorway, shaking his head. We chuckle and walk inside. We all get our pajamas' on and I give the dress back to Annie. She looks at it and then shakes her head. "No, you keep it." She says. "Annie, I can't keep it, it's yours." I say and push it into her hands. She sighs. "I never really liked it, it never suited me. It looks brilliant on you, please, keep it. I'll never wear it anyway." She says and gives it back to me. Before I can say anything, she walks out of the door and into the living room. I sigh and put the dress down.

I do my teeth and go into the living room. Madge and Gale were already in each others arms on the mattress. Finnick and Annie were still doing their teeth, and Peeta was waiting for me on the mattress. I lie down next to him and he pulls me into his arms. I snuggle into his chest. Finnick and Annie walk in as well and lie down. "Goodnight everyone." Madge says. We all say goodnight to each other and Gale turns the light off. Peeta gives me a small kiss on my cheek. "Sweet dreams." I hear him murmur as I quickly fall asleep.

**Author's Note: Hello! Hope you liked the chapter. Next chapter will be up by tomorrow, Wednesday or Thursday. I'm not really sure when, sorry! Don't forget to review :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note: Hi! This chapter was suggested by UDFlyers, hope you enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 27_

**Katniss' POV**

I wake up and feel Peeta's strong arms around me. I had a weird feeling in my stomach. It was like something was wrong. I open my eyes and see a sleeping Peeta. I try and wriggle out of his arms without waking him, but his grip is too strong. So I just lay there and wait for him to wake up. After a while he finally wakes up. His eyes flutter open and he looks at me for a second. Then he smiles. "Good morning." He says and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I smile and say good morning.

He gets up and I sit up as well. Finnick and Annie were lying in each others arms peacefully. I then look at Gale's mattress. Where were Madge and Gale? I look at Peeta and he shrugs. We stand up and walk to the kitchen quietly. Peeta opens the door and we walk in. Gale is standing there with Madge in his arms. They're kissing, and Madge's arms are around his neck. Peeta clears his throat loudly and Madge gasps. They both lean back and stand next to each other. Madge looks at us and blushes. "Morning Katniss, Peeta." She says and looks down.

I chuckle. "Good morning." I say and grin at Gale. He just glares at me slightly and looks down as well. "They've had a _really_ good morning so far." Peeta whispers and I laugh. Gale looks up. "I heard that, get out." He says and pushes us out of the kitchen. "But, breakfast-" I say. He closes the door and I laugh. "Well done, Peeta, now we don't get any breakfast." I say and smile at him. He rolls his eyes and smiles as well. Then we hear someone wake up. A few moments later Annie walks into the hallway. She rubs her eyes and smiles. "Morning. Why's the door closed?" She says.

"Madge and Gale were making out, and I said that they had had a good morning so far and then Gale got embarrassed and pushed us out, so now we're waiting till they've made breakfast." Peeta says and grins. Annie laughs. She then opens the door and closes it behind her. "Morning Gale and Madge. Peeta, Katniss and I are waiting for breakfast. So stop making out and let us have some food." She says and walks out. She closes the door again and grins at us. We laugh and a few minutes later Gale comes out with some sandwiches.

Finnick wakes up as well and we all have breakfast. I then put on my shorts and a shirt, and braid my hair. I remember my mockingjay necklace as well. I put it on and Peeta gives me a short kiss. I smile at him and Annie walks over to us. "Katniss, I love your necklace! Where did you get it?" She asks and strokes the silver little bird. "Peeta bought it for me. In District 10." I say and squeeze Peeta's hand. Annie looks at Peeta and puts her hand on his shoulder. "That is so cute!" She says and Peeta grins.

Then we walk over to the others. "How about we just go to the beach till lunch? Then we can do something else after that." Finnick suggests. We agree and put our swimsuits on. We walk to the beach and take our clothes off again. I also take off my necklace and put it in the pocket of my shorts. I walk into the water with Peeta and Madge, the others decide to lay in the sun for a while first. We swim for a while and talk. Then Madge goes back out of the water to Gale. Peeta and I swim further and further into the ocean. Then Peeta stops us and looks back. I look back as well and gasp. We couldn't even see Madge, Gale and Annie very clearly anymore. We could just see some blobs of what I suppose is the beach. "We better go back." Peeta says and I nod.

Peeta starts swimming and I do too. Or, I try. It's like the water won't let me go back. I swim as hard as I can, but I won't move forwards. Instead, I'm moving backwards, quicker and quicker. I push my feet and swim with as much power as I have. But it's like invisible little hands are pulling me away from the beach, and into the ocean. I start worrying. How am I going to get back? Peeta was already pretty far away. "Peeta!" I say. He doesn't hear me, and I panic. "Peeta!" I scream. He turns around and gasps. He swims towards me as quick as he can. After a few minutes he's back.

He realizes what's wrong and tries to pull me with him. But now he was being pulled by the ocean as well. We both struggle and pull and push, but nothing works. "Help! Gale, Finnick, Madge, Annie! Please, help us!" I scream. My voice cracks a few times and I sound like I'm crying. Then I suddenly feel something under my feet. We're we able to touch the ground again?

No. They were rocks. Pointy, sharp rocks. My foot scrapes one of them and I yell. "They're coming!" Peeta says. I notice he's struggling. After all, he only learned how to swim two moths ago. I could see his head disappearing under the water sometimes. I see Finnick and Gale jump into the water and swim towards us. But it would take at least five minutes before they got here. Suddenly I realize Peeta's head hasn't been up for a few moments.

"Peeta!" I yell and put my head under the water. I see Peeta struggling under water, and then suddenly his head hits a sharp rock hard. He releases his breath and stops moving. The water around his head starts getting red. I try and swim towards him, but the ocean is pulling me the other way. I cry and swim, but it isn't working. After what feels like ages, I feel the water pulling me under as well. I just give in and everything goes black.

When I wake up, the first thing I notice is that there's a sharp pain in my legs, feet and my left shoulder. I open my eyes a bit and nearly blind myself. There was a bright light above my bed. I blink. Where was I? I turn my head a little bit and see white walls and a window with light gray curtains. I look the other way and just see another white wall. I then tilt my head a bit and look at myself. I'm in a big, white bed. With white sheets.

Oh no. I was in a hospital. I notice there are drains attached to my arms. There's also a heart monitor and some tubes. I try and move my legs a bit and gasp. It hurt, but at least I could still move them. I move my arms as well and sigh of relief. I then remember Peeta's head.

I look up and towards the door. It was open and there were people walking outside the whole time. I then notice some chairs in the corner of my room. Gale and Annie are sitting next to each other. Annie has red eyes, and I think she might have cried. Gale's hands are comforting her, but I notice he looks very worried as well.

"Where's Peeta?" I croak. My own voice scares me. Gale and Annie's heads both snap up and look at me. Annie runs over to me. "Katniss! I- I'm so- you-" She stutters. Then she puts her hands on her cheeks. Gale's hand reaches for my head and brushes my hair out of eyes. My head doesn't hurt at his touch; that was a start. "What happened?" I try and whisper. Barely anything comes out of my throat, but somehow Gale understands me.

"You swam too far. The ocean dragged you in. I- I should have warned you. I'm sorry." He says and I notice his eyes are a bit watery. Annie puts her hand on his and then looks at me again. "You both got dragged under. And Peeta.. he hit his head. Hard." She whispers and bites her lip. I swallow. "How long ago did this all happen?" I say. Gale looks at the clock. "It only happened a few hours ago." He says. Then a doctor walks in.

"Ah, Katniss, you're awake." He says cheerfully and looks at some notes. He walks over to me and Gale and Annie get out of the way. He puts his hand on my head and checks some tubes. He then checks my heartbeat and looks at the notes again. "Well, you're going to be fine. You scratched your legs and feet a bit, so they look pretty bad. But you didn't break anything. Your shoulder also hit a rock, so that isn't looking very pretty. But you'll be okay." He says and smiles.

"What about Peeta?" I whisper. His hands stop turning the pages of his notebook and he looks at me with sad eyes. He sighs and puts down his notebook. "Peeta.. hit his head." He says. "It hit a rock. He has a big wound in the back of his head. His lungs also filled with water, but Finnick and Gale saved him." He says and Gale smiles lightly. "But.." I swallow as the doctor puts his hand on my leg.

"He's not looking good. The wound goes pretty deep. And we think he has brain damage." The doctor whispers. My heart stops beating and I feel like I'm going to get sick. Peeta had brain damage. No. This couldn't be happening. I see tears on Annie's face as she wipes my cheeks softly. "Brain.. damage?" I whisper. The doctor nods. "We think he might have.. lost some of his memories. He might not know certain things or people anymore. And we're not sure if it's temporary or not." He says.

I yell. Well, inside. My heart is screaming and I feel like my yelling. But I just look at the doctor. "You can see him." He says and I feel like hugging him. "Thank you." I whisper as he helps me out of bed. I get a wheelchair for now. I was still very weak. Gale pushes me into Peeta's room and I notice he's still asleep. Finnick and Madge stand up and walk over to us. "Katniss!" Madge says and gives me a hug. I gasp a little, my back hurt quite a bit. She pulls back and says sorry.

"When will he wake up?" Finnick asks the doctor. "It could be any time now." He says. "I'll be in the room across the hall, call me if you need anything." He says and leaves. Everyone sits down and Gale puts my chair and I next to his seat. A few moments later we hear Peeta moving. We all look at him and he looks at us with big eyes. His heartbeat starts getting faster. "Who.. where am I?" He asks and looks at the tubes connected to his arm.

Annie calls the doctor and he walks in. He goes over to Peeta's bed. "Hi Peeta. You're in District 4 now." He says and Peeta frowns. Oh no. "Can you please tell me everything you know?" The doctor asks and grabs a pen. Peeta looks over at us again and then shrugs. "I.. I live in District.. 12, with my father, mother and brothers. We moved there.. today, or yesterday or something." He says.

The doctor writes something and then sighs. "You have gotten into an accident, Peeta. You were swimming and then you drowned and hit your head off a sharp rock." He says. Peeta's hand goes up to his head and he feels the wound at the back. "These two gentlemen were able to get you out just on time." He says and gestures towards Finnick and Gale. They smile at him and he just stares at us. "Thank you. But who are you?" He asks. "I'm Gale, and this is Finnick. We, uhm.. we're friends of yours." Gale says slowly.

Peeta looks frightened. "I've.. you.." He stutters. He then looks at Annie, Madge and I. "I'm Madge and this is Annie." Madge says. Peeta swallows and nods. He then looks at me. "Peeta?" I whisper. He just stares at me with weird eyes. I feel tears streaming down my cheeks. He didn't know who I was. I feel everyone staring at me and I clear my throat.

"I'm Katniss." I whisper. He nods and then looks at the doctor. "I don't understand. Why am I in District 4?" He asks. "Peeta, I'm afraid... I'm afraid you've gotten brain damage. You have lost your memories from the point of when you moved to District 12 to now." He says. "Will it come back?" Madge asks as Peeta stares at her. "I'm not sure. It might. But it could take some time. And you'll have to help him in every way you can. Tell him about everything you've done, things you know about him, tell him about yourselves. Things like that." The doctor says. We all nod and Peeta just looks like he's going to cry.

"How long have I lived in District 12?" He asks with a panicked voice. The doctor looks at me. "About three to four months, I think." I whisper. Peeta gasps and his breathing gets heavier. "I.. this can't be true. I don't know any of you, what am I- I- why-" He stutters and looks at us all. "Peeta, get some sleep. You're in a very fragile state at the moment, we'll explain everything tomorrow, okay?" The doctor says. Peeta's breathing slows down a bit and he nods. "Okay." He whispers and puts his head on the pillow.

The doctor gestures for us to come back out and Gale pushes me out the door. Madge closes the door gently and we stand in front of the doctor. "I've called his parents. The next train isn't coming for another three days though, and that's when you're all leaving, isn't it?" He says and Madge nods. "Well then there's no need for his parent to come over, it would just be a hassle. Anyway, about the memory loss." He says.

"I'm not sure if he'll regain all his memories. You will have to do whatever you can to help. Tell him about everything you've done, show him pictures. He's going to need a load of help. And don't be scared if he doesn't believe you at first. It's very hard for him. He can't remember any of you. But after a while he should start to understand the situation, and maybe, _maybe_, regain his memories. He might even start remembering some little things tomorrow. We can't do anything here at the hospital to help, I'm afraid. So we're leaving both of you go home tomorrow." He says and looks at me.

I nod. "For now, get some sleep. When you get home tomorrow, try talking to him. Don't rush things. And give him his time. If he doesn't want to listen at first, leave him alone." He says. We say goodbye to the doctor and they push me back to my bedroom. Finnick and Gale lift me into my bed and Annie pulls the quilts over me. Madge stands in front of me and tries to breath steadily. Her eyes are very red and watery. "It's okay." I whisper to Madge. I don't even believe myself. I can feel the tears are still running down my own face and Madge puts her hands over her face. Gale pulls her into his arms and I close my eyes.

I have a numb feeling in my legs and shoulder. Must be morphine or painkillers or something. I sigh and fall asleep.

When I open my eyes again, there's sunlight shining through the crack in the curtains. I look over to the corner and see Gale, asleep on the chairs, with Madge in his arms. Madge wasn't asleep though. She was looking at me. She gently picks up Gale's arms and wriggles under them. Then she walks over to me quietly. "How are you feeling?" She asks. I shrug, and a sharp pain goes through my shoulder. I gasp and Madge sighs.

"Where are Finnick and Annie?" I ask with a weak voice. "They went home some time last night. They wanted to stay as well, but Gale made them go. Said they should get some sleep." She says and looks over at Gale. I nod and try to sit up. My legs didn't hurt as bad as yesterday. I sit down with my legs hanging over the side. I then look at what my legs look like. I gasp and nearly fall backwards. My legs looked awful. They were red and with millions of big, bloody, scratches. The rocks got my legs bad.

Madge follows my gaze and swallows. "Annie and Finnick will be up soon. They said they'd bring some clothes for both of you with them." She says. As if it were planned, Annie and Finnick walk in. They walk over to me and Annie gives me a kiss on the cheek. She then puts some long pants and a shirt next to me. "Thank you." I say and smile slightly. She smiles back. "No problem." She says. Then Gale wakes up and blinks. He walks over to us and grabs my hand. He squeezes it slightly and looks into my eyes.

"We'll get his memories back, Katniss. I don't care how long it takes. We'll all help, and he'll be his usual, happy self in no time." He says. I swallow and all my friends nod. I realize how lucky I am with these people. These four people, including two people I've known nearly my whole life, and two people I only knew a month or two now, they were all amazing. I smile. "Thank you." I say and my voice cracks.

The doctor comes in again and detaches all of the tubes. Then everyone except Madge and Annie leave. They help me get dressed. If I wasn't in the shocked state I was now, I would have blushed. But I didn't care at the moment. They gently pull me into my pants and I softly thank Annie for bringing me long pants. Madge braids my hair for me and my t-shirt covers my bashed up shoulder. I wash my face and look in the mirror. Except for a few tiny scratches and upcoming bruises on my arms, you could barely notice anything. I thank the girls and we walk into the hallway.

We then wait outside of Peeta's room. Finnick and Gale are waiting outside too. Apparently Peeta doesn't have much injuries, except for the wound in his head. So he was able to get dresses and everything himself. After about ten minutes Peeta walks out and stands in front of us. "Am I.. going with you, or what?" He asks. Gale nods. "You stayed at my house for two days before the accident already. You're staying there for another three days, including today. Then you'll be going back to District 12 with Katniss and Madge." He says and gestures towards us. Peeta nods slightly and we walk outside. I lean on Madge a little bit.

We get into Gale's car, and he rides us back to his place. We walk in and sit down at the table. "Um, I'll make some sandwiches, then we can talk, okay?" Annie suggests. We all nod as she makes some lunch. When she comes back she sits down and we all look at Peeta. He looks at every one of us for a moment and then looks down. "Can you please tell me why I'm in District 4?" He then asks.

"You, Katniss and I are kinda best friends, and we are also good friends with Finnick, Gale and Annie. We have a week off of school, so we came here to visit them." Madge says. He nods slightly. "Since when are we best friends?" He then asks. Best friends. Just best friends. I feel like crying, but I stop myself. "Well, since you moved here really. You live right next to Katniss." Madge says. He looks at me and I smile slightly.

"Are my family in District 12 at the moment?" He asks. I nod. "The next train coming here is the same day we leave, so they won't come here to collect you or anything. You'll see them Wednesday." Gale says. "What day is it today?" He asks. We tell him the date and he gasps. "I've forgotten quite a lot, haven't I?" He then whispers. We all nod as he looks down. "You can regain your memories though. I'm sure you will. We'll help. You can ask whatever you want." Annie says and smiles at him.

"Okay, thank you." He says. He then thinks for a moment. "If you three," he says and gestures towards Gale, Finnick and Annie, "live in District 4, how do we know you?" He asks. "I used to live in District 12, but I moved here because of family-reasons. I used to be best friends with Katniss. Well, I still am, of course. That's why you visited." He says and grins towards me. Peeta understands and nods.

"I live next to you?" He then asks and looks at me. I nod. He looks down. Then he looks at me again and his eyes go wide. I'm about to say something but he puts up his hand. He puts his hands on his head and frowns for a moment, thinking. He's concentrating. After a few minutes he looks at me with a frown. "You have a little sister, called Prim." He says.

Everybody just gapes at him. Then they all look at me. I realize I'm smiling. I nod quickly. "Yes. Primrose. She's 13. You helped me organize her birthday party a month or two ago." I say. He smiles, probably happy he was remembering something already. "Do we go to the same classes?" He asks Madge and I. Madge nods. "A few. Not all of them." She says and he nods. He then puts his head back and looks at Madge. "You.." He says.

Madge stares at him as his eyebrows knit together again. "You.. your father.. he's the mayor, isn't he?" He then asks. She smiles and nods. "Then, that would make you an Underwater..?" He asks. She laughs. "Nearly. It's Undersee. Madge Undersee." She says. He smiles and takes a bite from his sandwich.

"This is great, guys!" Finnick says and we all smile. Peeta looks at him and Annie. "You're dating, aren't you?" He asks. "Did you just remember that?" Annie asks in amazement. He shakes his head and chuckles. "I noticed you're holding hands." He says. Finnick and Annie both look down and say "oh". We all finish our sandwiches and then just sit there for another while.

"What's your last name?" Peeta then asks. I sigh. He couldn't even remember my last name. "Everdeen." I whisper. He nods a bit and looks at me. For some reason I feel a bit self conscious. It was like somebody I didn't know was staring at me. But I couldn't think like that. He was Peeta. He is Peeta. He'd be his usual self in no time.

We then all sit on the sofa, and Peeta sits next to me. I blush, and I know it's stupid. Peeta looks at the wall and sighs. "How did you guys save me?" He then asks Finnick and Gale. "Well, I pulled Katniss out of the water, and Finnick pulled you out. Katniss had passed out, but her lungs weren't filled with water, yours were." Gale says. Finnick nods and continues.

"I had to push your belly and chest down so the water would come out. And I had to give you.." he stops talking and his cheeks go red. Gale chuckles and Finnick looks down. "Give me what?" Peeta asks. "Mouth to mouth." Finnick murmurs. Gale laughs and Peeta goes a bit red too. "Thanks. For saving me and stuff." He says and smiles at Finnick. "No problem. Katniss would kill me if I didn't anyway." He says and then puts his hand in front of his mouth. Peeta didn't know we were dating yet.

Peeta looks at me. I open my mouth. "I- I'd lose my best friend if you died. I'd kill Finnick if he hadn't saved you." I stutter. Peeta nods and looks at the wall again. I sigh. Suddenly I feel Peeta's hand on my knee. "Are you actually okay? Cause I know I didn't get a lot of injuries, but did you?" He asks and examines my arms with a worried look. For him, I was a total stranger, claiming to be his best friend. But he trusted me. Was even worried about me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A few scratches and stuff, but I didn't break anything." I say and he takes his hand off my knee. My skin tingles where he touched it and I nearly turn his head and kiss him. But I don't. Instead I just bite on my bottom lip. "So, Peeta, maybe you can tell us what you remember doing last." Madge then says. He nods and puts his head back. "Well, the last thing I remember doing, is walking into my new room and putting down the last boxes." He says. He then frowns.

"I do still like painting and baking and stuff, don't I?" He asks with a worried face. I chuckle. "Yeah, you love painting and baking. You drew me once. And you make cookies for Prim every week." I say. He smiles. "Okay," he says, "and what have we done since we came here?" We tell him we went to the beach and had a picnic. "And we took the girls to a romantic restaurant." Gale says. His eyes then go wide and he looks at me with a sorry face.

Peeta's head snaps up and he looks at me and Madge. Gale puts his arms around Madge. Then Peeta looks at me and starts blushing. Before I can explain anything, he frowns again, concentrating. After ten, long minutes he looks up at me. "I remember when we came here on the train. We played a game. Can you.. can you tell me exactly what I said about you that day?" He asks.

I swallow. Madge grabs my hand and squeezes it softly. I remember exactly what he said. The words float through my mind and I clear my throat. "You said.. well.. okay, you said this, to be precise: 'Katniss Everdeen, 16 years old. You have a little sister named Primrose and a mother named Suzanne. You're dating some handsome guy named Peeta Mellark." I say and chuckle slightly. He grins and blushes as he concentrates on the wall.

"You love him. He loves you. You can hunt. You've been hunting for 4 years. You're favorite color is green. You adore chocolate. You have a weird, crazy friend named Madge. You always put your hair in a braid. You're beautiful. You hate Buttercup. And you _love_ making out with me.' That's what you said." I whisper. His cheeks go a dark red and I look down. He nods slightly. "Thank you." He says and smiles. He doesn't touch me. Hold my hand, kiss my cheek, anything. This was killing me. How long would it take before he had his memories back? _If_ he ever got his memories back? It could take months. Maybe even years.

We all talk for another while and watch some television. Peeta remembers some little things, like the fact that Gale and Madge are dating, which was pretty obvious anyway, and that his brother, Leo was dating a girl named Isabel. After a while it's time for dinner. Finnick just makes some fries for all of us, as we weren't really hungry. Peeta puts some fries in his mouth and then stares at the fries on my plate. He then looks up at me.

"Did we ever go on holiday together?" He asks. I frown. Then I realize what he's talking about. "Well, your father, brothers and you went to District 10 for a few days, and I was allowed to come with you. We spent.. a lot of time together, so it was kinda like a holiday for us." I say. He frowns for a moment and then nods. "Yes. We did. We went to the park and into town." He says. I nod and smile. He smiles back and has some more fries.

After dinner we watch some more television, as we don't really know what to do otherwise. "How about we play a game?" Gale then asks. The word game triggers something in Peeta, because he freezes and looks at me. "Truth or dare." He whispers. I nod. He then smiles and looks at the television again. He probably didn't remember the part where we both nearly got naked. Twice.

"It would be a game to help Peeta." Gale says. "Peeta could say or ask something, and we could say if that has ever happened or if his thoughts are true, by saying.. I don't know, 'real' or 'not real' or something." Peeta looks at us and nods. We all shrug. "Okay then. Go on, Peeta." Gale says. Peeta thinks for a moment. "I'll start with some simple ones, I suppose. I live in District 12, next to Katniss, real or not real?"

"Real." We all say. "My two best friends in District 12 are Katniss and Madge." "Real." "I'm a millionaire and have ten cars, two boats and a gigantic television." He says and grins. We all laugh. "Not real. Sorry Peeta." Madge says and smiles. Peeta nods. "My favorite color is still sunset orange? Like, it hasn't changed since I moved there?" "Real."

He asks another few easy questions, and nearly all of them are real. "Rye doesn't have a girlfriend." He says. "Not real. He's been dating someone for five weeks now." I say. He looks at me and his jaw drops. "_Rye_ got a girlfriend? How?" He asks. I laugh and shrug. Then he frowns for a second. "Oh yeah. I slightly remember him coming back with a smile on his face, saying it went well." He says and stares at nothing in particular.

He asks another few questions. Then it gets dark. We put on our pajamas'. I then walk over to the mattresses, and I realize there are four instead of three. I look at Gale and he smiles at me with a sad look in his eyes. I nod and lie down on a mattress. Finnick and Annie lie down on the one at the other side. Gale and Madge lie down on the one next to them, leaving for Peeta the mattress next to me.

He looks at us awkwardly and then lies down. We all say goodnight. I turn around and stare at the wall. It was hard having Peeta behind me, and not being able to do anything. Squeeze his hand, stroke his cheek, give him a small kiss. I suddenly feel him tap on my shoulder. I turn around and see him frown at me. "Um.. I don't know, I just wanted to say good night." He says and looks down. I smile. "Good night." I say and turn around again.

I close my eyes and imagine Peeta's arms are around me. I put my face in my pillow and bite on my lip, trying to keep in the tears. After what feels like ages, I finally fall asleep, with a wet pillow and stained cheeks.

**Author's Note: Hi! I know this chapter is kinda sad. But yeah. Anyway, the whole idea of Peeta losing his memories was, as I already said, UDFlyers' idea! I hope you liked the chapter. By the way, did you know the story nearly has bloody 300 reviews? I nearly choked on my cola when I saw it. **

**Do you want a Peeta's POV in the next chapter? I don't know if I should do that or just another Katniss' POV. Well, tell me what you all want. Next chapter will be up by tomorrow, Thursday or Friday! Don't forget to review :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm sorry I didn't update in two days, I just had to study a lot so I didn't have time. But anyway, here's chapter 28, and as more people wanted a Peeta's POV, that's what I'm doing!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 28_

**Peeta's POV**

I'm under water, trying to get back up. It's pulling me down, and as hard as I try, I can't get my head above the water. I see Katniss' body struggling as well, but at least her head was above water. I try and push myself off of the ground, but my feet just hit some rocks. Suddenly it feels like somebody's digging a knife in the back of my head, and everything goes black.

I open my eyes and gasp. The sweat is rolling down my face and I'm breathing heavily. That nightmare was so intense. I try and calm down a bit, get my breathing back to normal. My heart is pumping. I look around and see everyone's still asleep. It was four o'clock at night. I put my head back down on the pillow, but I can't get back to sleep. So I decide to get up. I stand up and sneak past Katniss. I go into the kitchen and make myself some tea. Then I go back into the living room and sit down.

This was so weird. I barely remembered these people, but still I felt perfectly happy and safe in their home. And was I dating Katniss? Surely I'd remember if I loved someone. Then again, apparently there was a lot I didn't remember. I do remember some moments with Katniss. Going to the park in District 10. The train ride here. Going to school with her.

I have a sip of my tea and sigh. I hadn't even talked to my parents yet. Suddenly I hear the door being pushed open slightly. I look up and see Katniss' head peaking through the crack. "Hi." She says and looks down. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I ask. She shakes her head. "No, no, I was just... I couldn't really get to sleep." She whispers. I notice her eyes are a bit red and puffy.

I put the tea down and gesture for her to sit next to me. "Oh, no, if you want some time alone it's fine, I'll-" She murmurs something and is about to turn around. "Katniss." I say. She looks at me with pained eyes. "Would you like to sit next to me?" I ask. She looks down and nods after a while. I make her a cup of tea and we sit down at the table.

She looks at her cup and takes some small sips. I felt like I should talk to her. I _wanted_ to talk to her. Which was weird, as for me it felt like I only met her a few hours ago. But it was like something in the back of my head was telling me to talk to her. So I pick up my tea. "Why couldn't you sleep?" I ask. She looks at me and bites her lip. "I... I just.. Nothing. It's nothing, really." She says and drinks some tea. I have a flashback of some times Katniss told lies. She's a terrible liar. She sees my eyes and smiles slightly. "Memory?" She asks. I nod and smile.

It was so weird when I remembered something. It was like I was reliving it for a second in my head. "I remembered your a terrible liar." I say. She blushes and looks down. I decide not to ask her about it. Then she looks up at me again. "So why couldn't you sleep then?" She asks. "Nightmare. A very intense one. I was reliving the moment of the accident, under water." I say. "Oh." She says and looks down again.

Suddenly I see my hand reach for her face. Her eyes widen and her hands freeze as she puts down the cup. I stroke her cheek with my thumb slightly. Why was I doing this? It did give me a really nice feeling. Warm and tingly inside. Her cheeks go a dark red as she stares at my hand when I pull it back and put it around my cup.

"Do you remember anything about.. your feelings.. for me?" She then whispers. I can hear the pain in her voice. I sigh. "I remember going to District 10, and I remember having certain feelings for you. I remember loving your hair, adoring your laugh." I say and think of the flashbacks I've had. She nods slightly. "The feelings are gone now though, aren't they?" She whispers. I see a tear roll down her face and land on her lap.

I grab her hands and she looks up at me. "Katniss, I truly believe I loved you. And if I loved you once, I will love you again. It will be a matter of time before I remember everything." I say. She sniffs once and looks at the wall. Her eyes are very watery, and I have a sudden feeling of guilt. She pulls back her hands and puts them on her lap. Then she stands up. "I'm going to try and get some sleep. Goodnight Peeta." She says, and her voice cracks halfway. She stares at the cup in her hands as she walks past me and closes the door.

I put my head in my hands. Why was this happening to me? I had found true love. I had amazing friends. I had probably had three amazing, funny, nice months. But I had forgotten it all. All the memories, thoughts, feelings. Gone. Just like that. It could take ages before I get all my memories back. But the doctor had also said it could all come back at once. I was hoping for the last.

I finish my cold tea and wash the cup. Then I go back to my mattress and lie down. Katniss is facing the other way, but I can feel she isn't sleeping yet. "Katniss?" I whisper. She swallows. "Yes?" She whispers back and turns her head to look at me. "Goodnight." I whisper and smile. She smiles back and turns around again. I lay my head on the pillow and close my eyes.

When I open my eyes again, it's suddenly bright outside. I yawn and look around. Everyone was still asleep. I remember I always woke up first if I was sleeping somewhere. I get up and walk to the kitchen. I make myself a sandwich and sit down. A few moments later Gale walks in. He sits down and stares at me for a moment. I remember having a conversation about Madge in Katniss' kitchen a few weeks ago. From that moment I liked Gale, we even became friends.

He then sighs and looks at me with sad eyes. He puts his hand on my shoulder. "You'll be okay, Peeta. I am going to do everything in my power to get your memory back for you. Really. You can count on me." He says. I smile at him. "Thanks Gale." I say. He smiles back and stands up to make a sandwich. Then he sits down again. "So, any more memories since last night?" He asks. I tell him about Katniss being a terrible liar, and the conversation about Madge. He nods and chews his sandwich.

"That's good. It really is. Your memories are coming back quite quickly." He says. I sigh. "Not quick enough." I say and look down. I was grateful that I already remembered some things, but I just wanted to remember everything. Remember everything that happened, every thought, every feeling. Gale nods slightly and takes another bite from his sandwich.

Then Katniss walks in. She looked very tired. But I have to admit, she still looked quite beautiful. My eyes widen as I had that thought. Was I falling in love with Katniss.. again? This was so confusing. Katniss smiles at us and sits down. "Morning. Sleep well?" Gale asks. Katniss glances at me and nods. "Yeah. Fine." She whispers and looks down. Gale looks at me with a confused face and I mouth the words 'I'll tell you later'. He nods. Then Finnick walks in. Gale gasps. "Wow, Finnick, are you okay? You never wake up this early!" He says and Katniss laughs. I then remember that Finnick _always_ woke up last. I smile as well as he sits down next to me.

About ten minutes later Madge and Annie walk in as well. "Morning." They say. Annie gives Finnick a quick kiss on the mouth, and Gale gives Madge a shy kiss on the cheek. They sit down and we all have breakfast. "So, what are we going to do today?" Annie asks and smiles. Finnick looks at me. "How about we just go to the park and talk. We could have a picnic." He says. I have a flashback of Katniss and I having a picnic in District 12. Finnick looks at me with confused eyes. "Flashback." Katniss explains and Gale nods. They all stare at me for a moment.

"Picnic in District 12." I say and smile at Katniss. She gives me a gigantic smile and Finnick squeezes my arm. Then we all get up and get some clothes on. I put on some shorts and a red t-shirt. Then I walk into the living room. Katniss is sitting on the sofa. "Where are the others?" I ask and sit down next to her. She looks up at me. "Gale and Finnick are fighting about the bathroom and Madge and Annie are still getting dressed." She says. I hear Gale yell something to Finnick and chuckle. Katniss laughs and I'm mesmerized. She had the most beautiful laugh ever. It was so pure.

She looks at me and I realize I'm staring. I look down and blush slightly. Then the others walk in and we stand up. "Ready?" Finnick asks as Annie picks up a big basket. We nod and walk out. We walk for about ten minutes, until we get to the 'park'. It was a big, green field and some trees and benches around it. Madge, Katniss and I laugh. "This isn't a park. This is a field." Madge says. Gale rolls his eyes. "It's the biggest _park_ in District 4, so shut up." He says and grins at her. She slaps his arm softly and we walk to the middle.

We put down a big blanket and I sit down. Gale sits next to me at one side, and Katniss sits next to me at the other. Her left knee touches mine and I blush. I look the other way, avoiding Katniss' eyes. I didn't really want her to see me blush. Gale looks at me and raises his eyebrows when he sees my red cheeks and wide eyes. I roll my eyes and take a bite from a sandwich Annie made. Gale grins and has a drink.

Then I see Finnick playing with a football. I have a flashback of that time in District 12 when they were visiting. We were playing football with the six of us and we were having a good time. My team lost in the end, partially because I got distracted by Katniss kissing me.

Katniss kissing me.

_Katniss kissed me._

I nearly choke and everyone stares at me with worried faces. "What's wrong?" Madge asks. I feel my cheeks go red and look at Katniss. She raises her eyebrows and I shake my head. "Nothing. Just, um, a flashback." I say. "Oh, great, what about?" Madge says and smiles. "Um, the park in District 12." I say. She nods and everyone just eats again. I'm glad they didn't ask further.

Why was I so surprised when Katniss kissed me in the flashback? I knew we had been together, then it's kinda normal that you kiss. But it was weird. I suddenly had the urge to just turn her head around and kiss her. I swallow and finish my sandwich. Then everyone just looks at me. They're all expecting me to say something about my flashbacks or something. "You know, I think certain words or sentences trigger some flashbacks." I say. "That's great. How about we say some stuff and you say if you get a flashback, okay?" Finnick says.

"No, wait, let's make a game out of it! We all say a word or small sentence, and if that word or sentence triggers a flashback, you get a point. The one with most points wins!" Gale says and grins. Katniss rolls her eyes. Everyone nods. "Okay, I'll begin," Gale says, "posh restaurant." Suddenly I see Katniss in a beautiful red dress. I relive nearly the whole night in less than two seconds. They all look at me and I nod and smile at Katniss. Annie thinks for a moment. "Football?" She then says. "I already had that flashback this morning." I say. "Oh." She says and Gale grins. "Louis." Madge says.

I'm in a jacuzzi with Madge, Katniss and Louis. Then I'm in the park with them. At Katniss' house with her and Louis. I have a few flashbacks of all the times I was hanging out with Louis. It takes about a minute. Then I look up at Madge and smile. "You just gave me about 7 flashbacks or something." I say and grin. "Seven points for me then." She says and sticks her tongue out towards Gale. He rolls his eyes. "Sleeping on a mattress with Katniss." Finnick then says and grins mischievously.

There's nothing for a minute. Then there's millions of moments going through my head. At my house, in District 4, or 10, or 12. It takes a few minutes. Then I look up and stare at Katniss. Her cheeks are red and she's looking down with a sad face, probably thinking I didn't remember. I see Finnick grin. "Yes." I whisper and gently grab Katniss' hand. Her head snaps up and she looks at me with wide eyes. I blush and just draw patterns on the back of her hand with my thumb. Her hand was soft and warm, it left my skin tingling wherever she touched it.

Then it's Katniss turn. "Does it have to be a word?" She then asks and looks at Gale. He looks at both of us and then shakes his head. Katniss nods and looks down. Then she leans closer to me and gives me a small kiss on the cheek.

Flashback after flashback after flashback. I see and feel Katniss giving me a kiss on the cheek a hundred times. When I'm done, everyone's just staring at us with wide eyes and dropped jaws. I feel my mouth is opened slightly and I look at Katniss. She's blushing and looking at our entwined hands. It's silent for a moment.

Then Gale blinks. "So, um, how many points does Katniss get?" He then asks. I grin and squeeze Katniss' hand softly. "At least 100." I say. She smiles at me and Gale pouts. Everyone laughs and says another few words. After about an hour, Katniss is the one who won. I remembered a lot of things, nearly every word triggered a memory. We stood up and walked around a bit.

I felt different. Like a different person. I now had memories of doing a load of things. Katniss giving me a kiss on the cheek, hanging out with everyone, and just random stuff. We walk around the park for a while, and I walk next to Katniss. I look at her and smile. The sunlight made her gray eyes look a shiny silver. Her lips were red and looked very.. kissable.

Katniss looks up at me and I feel my heart pump faster. I grin at her and she smiles slightly. She had the prettiest smile I've ever seen. We walk for another while and then stop at some place in town. "What are we doing here?" Madge asks. "Getting lunch." Finnick says and grins. We walk in. "Hi Finnick!" The girl behind the counter says and gives him her biggest smile. Annie rolls her eyes and I remember when the same thing happened in that amusement park.

"Hi." Finnick says and leans against the counter. The girl looks like she's going to faint. She looks up at him with longing eyes. "Can we have six fries, six hamburgers and six drinks please?" He asks. She stares at him for a moment. Then she looks at the rest of us, like she just noticed we were also here. She nods and goes round the back. He turns around like nothing happened. Annie narrows her eyes at him. "What?" Finnick asks and looks at her with innocent eyes.

Annie looks away and sighs. Finnick walks over to her and puts his arms around her waist. He puts his head against hers. "There's no need to be jealous, Annie. I love you, and only you." He whispers. She smiles and gives him a small kiss. He lets go and walks back to the counter. The girl walks back and glares at Annie. Finnick hands her the money and we walk to a big table.

I eat my fries and hamburger quickly. Katniss looks at me and chuckles. She then passes me half of her fries. "Here. I'm not that hungry." She says and smiles. "Thanks." I say and smile back at her as I have her fries. I have a flashback of taking her to the cinema. We saw a romantic movie. And after that we got fries and a hamburger and she gave me her fries. She also poked my belly, asking where I kept all that food.

She looks at me and I grin. I poke her belly softly. She looks at me with a confused look. But then she understands and chuckles. After a while everyone's finished and we walk out. The girl behind the counter glares at Annie again as we walk out. Annie laughs and holds Finnick's hand as we walk out. We hear the girl gasp as we close the door. We all laugh and Finnick rolls his eyes.

Then we stand outside. Gale grabs Madge's hand and looks at us with a guilty look. "Would you guys mind if I did something with Madge now?" He asks. Katniss smiles. "Of course not. Have fun." She says. They smile and walk away together. Then Katniss looks at Finnick and Annie. "When was the last time you two went on a date?" She asks. Annie looks up at Finnick and shrugs. "Two months ago or something." Finnick says. "You two have to do something together then. It's been too long. Go on, have some fun. We'll be fine." Katniss says. Finnick looks at Annie and shrugs. "Okay then." He says. Annie smiles and says goodbye to us. They walk away as well.

Then it's just Katniss and I standing there a bit awkwardly. "Um, shall we go home?" She asks. I nod and we walk to Gale's house, which was kinda our home in District 4. We walk in and sit down on the sofa. Katniss' hair is in her usual braid. Usual. I have short flashbacks of a smiling Katniss with her hair in a braid. After a few minutes I look up at her and see her looking at me with a smile.

"Flashback?" She asks. I nod. "Your braid. I just remembered all the times I've seen you with a braid. It was a nice flashback." I say and blush. She swallows and blushes as well. Her cheeks go a light pink and I smile. Suddenly I realize why I was thinking all of those things about Katniss today. Why I was thinking she was beautiful, why I loved her hair, her eyes. I still loved her. I still had feelings for her.

I lean closer to Katniss and she holds her breath and freezes. I put my head against hers and she breaths heavily, like she just ran a thousand miles. My heart is pumping and I swallow. "Can I-" "Yes." She says. I chuckle and press my lips against hers.

Everything goes black for a moment. Then I'm reliving everything. Everything from the moment that I moved to District 12 to the minute before the accident happened. _Everything_.

I don't know how long it takes, but when I open my eyes again, Katniss is sitting next to me with a worried look on her face. She's holding my hand and her touch tingles my skin. My heart pumps quicker. I love her. The feelings were stronger than ever. Reliving all those moments, made me realize how much I love her. She sees my eyes open and swallows.

"Flash-" I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her closer to me. I press my my lips against hers and moan. After a moment I pull back and blush. She looks at me with wide eyes and dark red cheeks. "Katniss. I just remembered.. everything." I whisper. She stares at me and her jaw drops. Then I see tears streaming down her face. "What's wrong? Isn't this amazing?" I whisper and brush her tears away with my thumb. She snuggles into my chest and I put my arms around her.

"I was so scared Peeta. I thought you'd never come back." She whispers. I feel her tears wetting my t-shirt but I don't mind. Katniss really loved me. I kiss the top of her head. After a few moments she stops and looks up at me. "Peeta, this is amazing. You don't know how happy I am at the moment." She says and smiles with teary eyes. I grin and give her a kiss. "I love you Katniss. I don't know how I could forget. But everything's back now." I say.

She sighs and puts her arms around me. "I missed you." She whispers. I swallow and put my cheek on her head. I stroke her hair and she just holds me tight. After a while she pulls back. "How long did it take after I kissed you? Before I like, came back from my flashbacks?" I ask. She shrugs. "I think about 10 minutes." She says. I nod slightly. It was so strange, in a period of ten minutes I had just remembered three whole months of my life. I am not complaining though, I'm happy it went so quick.

I then look down. "You know, I think I fell in love with you again before I even got all of those flashbacks." I say. She looks up at me and narrows her eyes. "You didn't." She says. I nod. "I did. Why did you think I kissed you?" I say. She looks down and blinks. "I thought you just wanted to know what it was like. You probably wondered how good your girlfriend, 'who you've been with for three months', could kiss. That's what I thought." She murmurs and I chuckle.

I pull her on top of my lap and hitch her legs around my waist. I pull her as close to me as I can and she grins. "I missed this as well." She whispers into my ear and kisses my jaw softly. Then she kisses my lips and puts her arms around my neck. I lie us down carefully and she lies on top of me. I rest my hands on her butt and nearly moan. How did I live for two days without knowing what this was like?

After what feels like a few seconds later, she pulls back and sits down. I frown. She looks at me and chuckles. "It's time for dinner." She says. I look at the clock and gasp. Five whole hours had passed. _Five_. I grab her hand and we walk to the kitchen. "Just so you know, I'm not letting you go anymore." I say and squeeze her hand softly. She chuckles again. "Fine by me." She says and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I make some spaghetti for us and we sit down and eat.

When we're finished we just sit next to each other. I then remember something. "Do you know where Gale's phone is?" I ask. We look around and find it after a while. I dial my parents' number and it rings. Katniss squeezes my hand softly when my father answers. "Hello?" "Hi, Dad. It's me." I say. My father is silent for a moment. Then he whispers, "Peeta?" I chuckle. "Yeah. Dad, I don't know what the doctor told you. But I'm sure he told you I lost my memory. Right?" I say. "Yeah." My father whispers sadly.

"Well, I just kinda remembered everything." I say. There's a silence again. "How?" My father asks. I shrug. Katniss laughs and I remember I'm on the phone. "I don't really know. But I just kissed Katniss and then everything came rushing back to me." I say. I hear my father laugh. "What were you doing kissing Katniss? You didn't even know who she was!" He says. I chuckle and look at Katniss.

"I fell in love with her again." I whisper. Katniss smiles at me and I smile back. I then give her a small kiss on the cheek. "Peeta, please, you're on the phone with me, stop kissing Katniss for a moment." My father says with a disgusted voice. I laugh and say sorry. Then my father sighs. "I'm so glad your okay, Peeta. We were so worried. You might not believe it, but even your mother was worried." He says. I gasp. No way.

We talk for another while. Then I tell my father I better hang up because this is Gale's phone, not mine. He chuckles and we both say goodbye. I hang up and put the phone back where we found it. Then I grabs Katniss' hand and drag her over to the sofa. She sits down. I sit down next to her and lean her onto her back. She chuckles and puts her arms around my neck. I kiss her neck, and slowly kiss her jaw. I take my time. After a few moments she groans. "Ugh, Peeta, just kiss me already." She says and pushes her lips against mine. I laugh and kiss her.

After an amazing hour we hear the front door open. It's eight o'clock, and Madge and Gale walk in with big smiles. They see Katniss lying on top of me and freeze. They look at Katniss, then at me, then at each other and back to me. Katniss climbs off of me with a red face and we both sit up, next to each other. We both look down. Then I feel arms around me. I look up and see Madge is giving me a big hug.

"I'm so glad you're back!" She nearly yells. I smile and give her a hug. Then she steps back and Gale gives me a hug. "Great to have you back." He says and I smile at him. "Thanks." I say to both of them. Then I grin mischievously at them. "So, did you guys have _fun_?" I ask. Katniss laughs and Gale rolls his eyes. "Yep, he's back." He says to Madge and turns around.

Madge chuckles. "Yeah. We went to the beach and stuff." She says and smiles. Then she turns around and walks into the kitchen with Gale. They make some dinner and Katniss and I watch some television. Then we hear the door open a bit. I look at Katniss and she shrugs. A few moments later we hear two people stumble in. The door closes and Finnick and Annie walk into the living room with red faces. Annie smiles. "Hey, guys!" She slurs. Finnick walks over to the sofa and sits next to us. He sees I'm holding Katniss' hand and gives me a crooked smile. "I remembered everything." I say and smile.

He looks at me for a moment and then smiles again. "That's amazing, Peeta! I really missed you. I love you man." He says and gives me a big hug. Katniss tries to hold in her laughter. Finnick's breath smells like booze. He stands up and walks over to Annie. He pokes her belly and they both laugh hysterically. I stand up and sigh.

"Have you two been drinking?" I ask and cross my arms. Annie looks at me and cocks her head a bit. "Drinking? No, never. And who do you think you are, our father?" She says. Finnick laughs and nods. Katniss gets up and stands next to me. "That was very irresponsible of you." She says with a slight grin. We both thought this was rather comical. Finnick snorts. "Irresponsible, blabla. You only live once!" He slurs and Annie chuckles. Then Gale and Madge walk back in. They see Finnick's and Annie's faces and raise their eyebrows at us.

"They're drunk." Katniss says. "We're not drunk!" Annie says and nearly falls off of the chair. Madge laughs and stands in front of Annie. "Annie, darling, how many drinks did you have?" She asks. Annie looks down with a frown. "Only a few. And then another few. And another few." She says and gives Finnick a high five. Gale laughs and shakes his head. "Come on, we better bring you two to bed." He says and grabs Finnick's arm. I grab Annie's and we walk them over to the mattresses. We put them down on the same mattress. They both fall asleep immediately.

Then Gale looks at the mattresses. "Do you want me to put one upstairs again?" He asks. I grin. "That would be nice." I say. He chuckles and I help him carry the fourth mattress upstairs. We walk back down and see Katniss and Madge whispering something in the kitchen. Gale looks at me and raises his eyebrows slightly. We walk to the kitchen and stop right in front of the door. The door is slightly opened, so we can hear them whisper if we listen close.

"He told me he loved me! He's never done that before in real live! He's told me on the phone before, but not face to face!" Madge whispers. I elbow Gale and grin. He rolls his eyes and smiles slightly. Katniss chuckles. "That's great Madge. I'm happy for you. Now let's go back." She says. We hear them walk towards the door and run back into the living room. We lean against the wall casually. They walk in and Gale says something to me, pretending that we were talking all along. "So, yeah, I just said no and stuff." He says. I nod. Then I 'notice' the girls are back. I smile at Katniss and they walk over to us. "What were you talking about?" Madge asks and holds Gale's hand. Gale shrugs. "You know. Man stuff." He says. I laugh and the girls look at us with confused faces.

We get our pajamas' on and get ready for bed. Then I hold Katniss' hand and we walk over to the mattresses. She counts them silently and then raises her eyebrows at me. I grin and lie down, pulling her on top of me. She chuckles and gives me a quick kiss. I see Gale and Madge lie down as well. Finnick's snoring loudly, and Annie's half on the ground. I chuckle and Gale puts the lights off.

"Goodnight Peeta, Katniss." He says. We say goodnight to them. We hear Gale and Madge whisper for another few minutes. Then they both go to sleep. I give Katniss a small, gentle kiss. She smiles and snuggles into my chest. "Don't ever lose your memory again, Peeta. Ever." She whispers. I stroke her hair and kiss the top of her head. "I promise." I whisper as we both fall asleep.

**Author's Note: Hi! I hope you don't all think I gave Peeta his memory back too soon. I wasn't planning on giving it back to him this quick but I couldn't handle writing a whole chapter in which Peeta doesn't love Katniss. But yeah. The story now has _338 reviews_, holy crap. Before I uploaded the last chapter, it didn't even have 300 yet. So thank you all! The next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Sunday :) **


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Note: Hi! Before I start the chapter, I'd just like to thank everyone for the reviews. Most people liked that Peeta got his memory back, so I'm really relieved. Here's chapter 29, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 29_

**Katniss' POV**

Peeta's drowning. He's drowning, and I'm looking from above, trying to help. But I can't. I watch his head stay under water for longer and longer. Then his body stops moving. A few seconds later the water around his head goes a dark red. I scream for help, but nothing comes out of my throat. I watch as the red pool becomes bigger and bigger. Then he's gone, and all that is left is the red water.

My eyes snap open and I sit up. I swallow as I wipe my damp forehead. It's pretty bright outside, which meant it couldn't be too early. Everyone's still asleep, including Peeta. I smile when I see he's still with me. I put down my head on his chest and his arms automatically wrap around my shoulders. Even in his sleep, he wanted to hold me close. I snuggle into his chest and close my eyes for another hour.

Then he wakes up and I feel him stroke my head softly. I look up and he smiles at me. "Good morning sweetheart. Sleep well?" He whispers. I look down. "Not really." I murmur. He frowns. "Why not?" He asks. I sigh and my arms around his chest hold him tighter. "I dreamed about the accident. I was watching from above, and I couldn't help you." I whisper, my voice trembling. "And then- then you hit the rock. You stopped moving, the water went red. Then suddenly you were gone. Just like that." I say.

He holds me against his chest and puts his chin on top of my head. "I'll never leave you, Katniss. I promise." He whispers. I smile and give him a kiss on the cheek. We both get up and walk to the kitchen. We grab some cereal. "We're leaving tomorrow, aren't we?" Peeta asks. I nod as we sit down. A few moments later Madge and Gale walk in, hand in hand. When they see us they both say 'oh'.

Peeta laughs. "Thought you could make out before we woke up?" He says. I laugh and they roll their eyes. They grab some cereal as well and sit down next to us. When we're all done, we hear someone groan. A few seconds later Annie walks in with a hand on her forehead. She sits down next to us and puts her head on the table. "Morning Annie." Madge says. Annie opens one eye and looks at all of us. "Why did I drink that much last night?" She murmurs.

We chuckle and I put my hand on her shoulder. "Have a cold shower and drink plenty of water. That should help." I say. She nods and stands up. She walks up the stairs a bit unsteadily and goes into the bathroom. A few moments later Finnick walks in with a smile on his face. "Don't you have a hangover or something?" Gale asks with raised eyebrows. Finnick shakes his head. "I can drink a load and be fine the next morning. Annie gets a hangover after two drinks, but I'm okay." He says and grabs some bread.

We all talk for a while, until Annie comes back down with clothes on and a towel around her head. She looks at Finnick and sighs. "It's so unfair. Why are you fine? I feel like crap." She murmurs. Finnick laughs. He stands up and gives Annie a kiss. "I had a great time last night." He whispers. Annie smiles. "Me too." She says and gives him another small kiss. Then Finnick walks out. We all decide to get dressed as well.

I put on my shorts and a red tank top. I feel something in my pocket. I put in my hand and feel a small chain. I pull it out and see it's my mockingjay necklace. Suddenly Peeta's arms are around my waist. He's standing behind me with his chin on my left shoulder. He kisses my neck softly and I sigh. He smiles and kisses my jaw. I turn my head so he can kiss my lips.

Someone behind us clears their throat loudly. We turn around and see Finnick standing there with his arms crossed. "You're both only sixteen. You should only be holding hands and stuff." He says with a joking tone to his voice. Peeta chuckles and I smile. Finnick turns around and walks away again. Peeta grabs my hand and holds my mockingjay necklace. He turns his finger, gesturing for me to turn around. I turn around and hold my hair up as his soft hands put the chain around my neck.

I let my hair fall and turn around. He smiles and puts his arms around my waist again. He gives me a gentle kiss. Then Madge walks in and he stands next to me. I braid my hair and Finnick, Gale and Annie walk in. Gale turns around and glares at Finnick. "You know I need about ten minutes in the bathroom, it's not fair if you're in there for a bloody half an hour!" He yells.

"You always want to go in there too late! You could easily go in there before me, but no, you wait till I'm in there and then yell at me!" He yells back. Annie walks over to us and stands next to me. Gale and Finnick yell at each other again and I lean in to Annie. "Do they usually fight like this?" I whisper. She nods. "They're _always_ fighting. But usually they're fine again after a few minutes." She whispers back.

"Why do you even need half an hour? What do you do in there?" Gale yells. "It takes time to look this wonderful!" Finnick yells and puts up his arms. They both glare at each other in silence. Then they both start laughing. "Wonderful? Really?" Gale says and shakes his head while laughing. Finnick rolls his eyes and slaps Gale's arm softly. "You see?" Annie whispers. I chuckle.

We walk outside and Gale suggests we go to town. We all agree and walk for a while. We walk past a load of shops and boutiques. After a while we get some ice cream and sit down next to a big fountain. Peeta puts his right arm around my waist and I rest my head on his shoulder. We eat our ice creams and watch all the little children play around the fountain. The children here looked different to the ones in District 12. They were all a bit tanned, and most of them had brown or dark red hair. But they looked just as happy.

I look up at Peeta and see him watching the children with a sweet smile on his face. After a moment he realizes I'm watching him and looks down with pink cheeks. Finnick stands up. "Can we go and get some lunch? I'm starving." He says. Gale and Peeta nod and I roll my eyes. We all get up and walk to the same place where we got the fries and hamburgers yesterday. "Don't you ever eat anything healthy?" Madge asks Finnick.

He chuckles. "I eat fish sometimes." He says. Madge chuckles as well and shakes her head. Gale, Annie, Finnick and Madge order and go and find a table. Then it's Peeta's turn. The girl behind the counter looks up and smiles at Peeta. "Hi. What would you like?" She asks with a sweet voice. She twirls a piece of hair around her finger and smiles at Peeta the whole time. "I'd like a hamburger and some large fries please. And you want a hamburger and small fries, don't you?" He asks. I nod. The girl grins at Peeta. "Sure. I'll be right back with your order." She says and winks. Then she walks away.

"I can't believe her." I whisper. Peeta looks at me with a confused face. "What?" He asks. "Didn't you notice she was nearly throwing herself at you?" I say. He frowns and looks at the girl. Then he looks at me again with red cheeks. "Was she?" He asks with a small grin. Before I can answer she's back with two trays. "Here you go. I'm Amber. If you need anything, I'll be right here." She says and smiles. Peeta smiles back and grabs the trays. "Thanks." He says. I turn around, but Amber says something again. "Would you like to go out sometime?" She asks and looks at Peeta. My jaw drops. Peeta looks at me and then to Amber again. "I- I'm sorry, but I have a girlfriend." He says and grabs my hand.

The girl glares at me and snorts. "Fine. Your loss." She says and turns around. We walk to our table and start laughing. "_Your loss._" I say and Peeta nods with a big grin on his face. Everyone looks at us with a confused face. "That girl over there, she was throwing herself at Peeta. Then she asked him out and he said no, and she said '_fine, your loss_'." I say. They all start laughing and Peeta chuckles.

Then Annie stops laughing. "Wait, who?" She says and looks at the different girls behind the counters. "Um, that one with the brown hair, I think her name was Amber." Peeta says. Annie looks down and Finnick puts an arm around her. Peeta looks at Gale and I. I shrug. "What's.. what's wrong?" Madge whispers.

Finnick looks up with angry eyes. "She bullied Annie for years. Made her life a hell." He spits. I look back and see her glaring our way. Annie nods. Finnick's hands turn into fists and his face turns red. "Finnick, calm down." Gale says and puts his hand on Finnick's shoulder. Finnick looks at us and sighs. His face goes a normal color and he relaxes his hands. "I just hate her for what she did to Annie. She never even got punished for it." He whispers.

Annie looks up and puts her hand on his. "It's okay. Don't worry about it." She says. He looks at her with wide eyes and his mouth slightly open. "It's okay? It isn't okay. She bullied you to the point that you didn't want to live anymore! That isn't okay! That's pure evil!" He says. Then he puts his hands on his mouth and looks at Annie with sorry eyes.

Annie looks down with red cheeks. "I'm sorry Annie." He whispers. I look at Peeta. We're all shocked. I suddenly feel angry. How could that girl have bullied Annie? Sweet, loving Annie? To the point that she didn't want to live anymore? Annie looks at us with a hurt face. Then she looks at Finnick. "It's okay." She says and gives him a small kiss on the cheek. We're all silent for a while. We eat our fries and hamburgers. After a while we start talking again like nothing happens.

I shove my last fries onto Peeta's tray and he chuckles. "You should really eat more." He says while stuffing my fries into his mouth. "I'm fine." I say and smile. When everyone's finished we stand up and put the trays away. When we're about to walk out, we hear someone say something behind us. "Well would you look at that, if it isn't little Annie." We turn around and see Amber and some other girls glare at us. Annie rolls her eyes and grabs Finnick's arm. "Let's go." She murmurs.

Finnick glares at Amber and stays where he's standing. "What's wrong, are you too late for your doctor's appointment? Well guess what honey, he can't fix your ugly face." Amber says and the girls laugh. Annie looks down with a hurt expression. "_What_ is your problem?" Finnick yells. The girls stop laughing and look at him. "Why do you bully her? Annie is beautiful. She's more beautiful than any of you ever will be!" He yells. "Only because you're insecure little bitches doesn't give you the right to bully Annie. So shut up." The girls all stare at us with wide eyes and their mouths open.

Finnick turns around and puts his arm around Annie. "Let's go." He says and we walk out. We walk outside and Annie gives Finnick a big hug. "Thank you, Finnick." She whispers. He smiles and strokes her hair. We walk past another few shops and then walk towards Gale's house. "Shall we take a long walk on the beach?" He asks. We all nod and walk to the beach. When we get onto the sand, Peeta stops. He looks at the sea with scared eyes. I grab his hand, but he just stares at the water. "We don't have to have a walk. Let's go home." I whisper and try to turn him around. He swallows and shakes his head. "No. It's okay. I'm fine." He murmurs.

We walk towards the others. They're already walking past the water in couples. Peeta grabs my hand again and smiles. We walk in silence for a while. Then he looks at me. "Katniss, do you.. do you ever think about your future?" He asks. I look up at him and shrug. "Not really. There's not a lot to think about." I say. He frowns. "Why not?" He asks. "Well, it's not like I'm going to go to university or anything. I finish high-school and buy my own house. Get a job." I say.

He looks down and I notice he's blushing. "I meant, your future with.. me." He whispers. I swallow. "What about it?" I ask. He looks up at me. "I was just wondering if you ever think about it." He says and bites his bottom lip. "Do you?" I ask. He looks down and nods slightly. "Sometimes." He whispers. I squeeze his hand and say nothing. Peeta doesn't ask anymore, and we walk in silence.

"I don't think I want children." I say after a while. He looks up at me with sad eyes. Then he nods slowly and looks down again. We notice the others are sitting down and sit down with them. They all talk and then look at us. Gale looks at Peeta. "What's wrong?" He asks. Peeta looks up and shakes his head. "Nothing." He says and smiles slightly. Gale looks at Madge and shrugs.

Then we decide to go back to Gale's house. We all walk inside and I sit down on the sofa. Peeta sits down next to me and pulls me on top of him. "Let's watch a movie." Annie says. Gale agrees and puts the television on. He puts on a movie and sits down with Madge's legs over his lap. Finnick pulls Annie into his arms as well. I expect a romantic or scary movie.

But no. Gale chose an action movie. It's mostly just fighting and explosions. After a while Annie, Madge and I stand up and walk over to the kitchen. The boys are sitting with their elbows on their knees and smiles on their faces. Annie shakes her head. "Boys." She says and gives Madge and I a cup of tea. I chuckle and we all sit down. We sip our tea. Then Annie looks up at us.

"I don't want you to feel sorry for me. For being bullied. I'm fine." She says. We nod slightly. "Why.. why did they bully you?" Madge asks. Annie looks down. "I was small and weak when I was younger. I was also fatter and had a chubby face. They thought I was ugly and started calling me names. It wasn't very bad at first. They'd only call me ugly so now and then. But the names kept getting worse. Then they started 'pranking' me. The pranks got so bad that in the end I'd always be hurt, physically and emotionally." She whispers.

"Then my mother allowed me to change schools. I went to another school. There I met Finnick. Since then they kinda left me alone most of the time." She says. Then she smiles slightly. "That was the only good thing that happened to me since they bullied me. I met Finnick. He showed me I wasn't ugly, and showed me that I could be loved." She says.

I put my arm around Annie's shoulder. "I'm sorry for what they did to you." I say. She shakes her head. "No need." She says and smiles. I smile as well and we finish our tea. We walk back into the living room and see the boys all have shocked faces. "What's wrong?" I ask. Peeta looks at me with wide eyes. "The zombies just blew up the earth." He says with a serious voice. I start laughing and he rolls his eyes and watches the movie again. After another hour it's finally over.

"That was the best movie I've ever seen." Finnick says, and Gale and Peeta nod. Annie snorts. "Seriously? Zombies blew up the earth and then repopulated on the moon. You really think that was a quality movie?" She asks. They all nod with serious faces. I chuckle. Then we get up and decide on what to have for dinner. "I think we should have fries." Finnick says. Madge shakes her head. "We already had that today. How about fish?" She says. Annie shakes her head. "We always have fish. I want some pasta or something." Everyone says what they want, and we realize everyone wants something completely different. Peeta and I both want potatoes and vegetables though. We sneak into the kitchen and make our dinner. We walk back out and sit down at the table with our plates. They all stop arguing and stare at us.

"Did you seriously just make yourself some dinner?" Gale asks both of us. We nod and I take a bite of my potatoes. They all shake their heads and we chuckle. They walk into the kitchen and all make what they want. After a while they come back out and sit next to us, all with something else on their plates. "That's easier, isn't it?" Peeta asks and grins. Finnick rolls his eyes and has some fries.

When we're all done, Gale grins mischievously. "How about we go to the beach again?" He asks. We nod, as we don't have anything else to do. It's getting really dark outside, and we sit down somewhere on the sand. We sit in a circle. "Okay, let's play truth or dare." Gale then says. We all laugh. "Annie, truth or dare?" Gale asks. "Truth." She says. "How many times have you seen Finnick naked before?" He asks. I laugh and Annie looks down with red cheeks. Finnick rubs the back of his neck.

"A few." Annie says. Gale shakes his head. "I want to hear a number." He says and grins at Finnick. Finnick rolls his eyes. Annie sighs. "I don't know precisely. I think about.. 30 times or something." She says. We all gasp and chuckle. "What were you doing all those times?" Gale asks. Annie grins. "You already used your question." She says. He rolls his eyes. "Truth or dare, Peeta?" Annie asks.

Peeta looks at me for a moment. "Truth." He then says. Finnick whispers something into Annie's ear and she grins. "Have you seen Katniss naked before?" She asks. We both look down and I feel my cheeks burn. "Half." He murmurs. Gale shakes his head again. "You have to be more precise, Peeta." He says and Finnick nods. Peeta sighs. "I've seen her wearing only underpants. Okay?" He says and squeezes my hand. "Sorry." He whispers into my ear. "It's okay." I whisper back.

Everyone laughs and Finnick gives Peeta a high five. Gale laughs and Peeta narrows his eyes. "Gale, truth or dare." He says. "Truth." Gale says. Peeta grins mischievously. "Would you like to see Madge naked? Be honest, now, you did say truth." He says. Madge's eyes widen and she looks down. Gale's cheeks go dark red and we all laugh. "We're waiting, Gale." I say. He looks up and glares at Peeta. "Maybe." He says.

Peeta grins. "You have to be more precise, Gale." He says, saying exactly what Gale said to him. Gale looks down and whispers 'yes'. Madge's whole face goes red as she stares at Gale. He swallows and looks up again. "Katniss. Truth or dare?" He asks. What should I say? He'd ask something embarrassing if I said truth. But he could make me do _anything_ if I said dare.

"Truth." I say. He grins. "Thanks for the idea Peeta." He says and winks at Peeta. Then he looks at me. Oh no. "Katniss, have you ever dreamed of seeing Peeta naked?" He asks. I feel Peeta freeze and I blush. I remember having a weird dream a few weeks ago. We were both naked, in bed. We were making out. And he told me he loved me. It was a weird dream, and I remember waking up with a shocked face.

"Yes." I whisper. Barely anything comes out of my throat but somehow they all hear me. "Ha!" Gale says and everyone laughs. I look up at Peeta. His jaw is dropped and I've never seen his eyes this wide. He swallows and blinks. I look at Finnick. "Truth or dare, Finnick." I say. "Dare." He says. "I dare you to take off your shirt and your shorts and dance for us." I say. He raises his eyebrows and we all laugh. He stands up and takes off his shirt. I can't help noticing his muscles are quite big.

Then he looks at all of us and takes off his pants. He throws them on the floor and stands in the middle. She starts shaking his butt and wiggling his arms. We all laugh and he does different moves. In the end he jumps and lands on one of his knees, with his arms in the air. We all clap and laugh. He grins and puts his pants back on. He sits down again and puts his arm around Annie. "Madge, truth or dare?" He asks.

"Truth." She says and bites her lip with a worried look on her face. Finnick narrows his eyes. "Would you like to see Gale with his shirt off?" He asks carefully. That wasn't fair, she was getting quite an okay-question. She blushes and smiles. "Yes." She murmurs. Gale looks at her. Then he takes his shirt off and Madge raises her eyebrows. She looks at his chest and looks at me with impressed eyes. I laugh. Then Peeta looks around and takes off his shirt. "Why are you taking off your shirt?" I ask. He grins. "Because otherwise I'm the only boy who isn't showing off his muscles." He says and we all laugh.

Then he leans in and I feel his lips brush my ear gently. "And because I know you _love_ it when I'm not wearing any shirt." He whispers. I feel myself blush and he grins. We all talk for another while. I see Madge glance towards Gale's body so now and then and chuckle. She looks at me and blushes. Then we decide to go home, as it was getting pretty late. We walk in and get ready for bed. I put my mockingjay necklace in my bag and put on my pajamas. The boys only put on pajama pants. We don't really mind though. Especially Madge. She couldn't keep her eyes off of Gale.

We lie down. "Last night in District 4." Peeta says while he tugs at my waist softly. I chuckle and snuggle into his chest. We all say goodnight and Gale puts the light off. I close my eyes and Peeta strokes my hair softly. After a while I notice everyone's asleep already. I look up to see if Peeta's asleep yet, but he's staring at the wall. "Peeta?" I whisper.

He looks down and smiles. Then he looks at me with a serious face and wide eyes. "Did you dream about seeing me naked?" He whispers. I roll my eyes. "Yes. Once." I whisper. He grins and gives me a short kiss. "Okay. Good to know. Goodnight." He whispers. I put my head on his chest again. After a while I finally fall asleep, dreading the morning.

**Author's Note: Hellooo. I hope you all liked the chapter. Chapter 30 will be up by Monday. Very maybe tomorrow, but I don't think I'll have time. Everyone enjoy their weekend and don't forget to review! :)**


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's Note: Hi! Sorry I didn't update yesterday. This story has 400 reviews. 400. _400._ I was so shocked when I saw that pretty number at 'reviews'. You guys are the best. A big thank you to all the people that review, add this story to alert or favorite, add me to alert or favorite, and just read the story. You're all amazing. Anyway, here's chapter 30, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 30_

**Katniss' POV**

I hear birds whistling and open my eyes. The sun is shining and I can feel Peeta's arms wrapped around mine. I look up and see Peeta's still asleep. I then look around. Finnick and Annie were also still asleep, but where were Madge and Gale? I turn my head and look at the sofa. There they were, Madge, snuggled into Gale's chest with his arms around her. They both had a sad look on their face. This was going to be even harder for them than last time.

I turn my head again and smile. Peeta looked adorable. His hair was hanging over his eyes and his lips were slightly parted. I gently move his hair and his eyes flutter open. He looks at me with a blank expression for a moment, but then his lips form into an easy smile. "Good morning beautiful." He whispers with a husky voice. He gives me a quick kiss and brushes my cheek with his thumb. "Morning Peeta." I say and smile.

Peeta yawns and looks around. He looks at the sofa and his shoulders drop. He looks back at me with a worried face. "It's going to be very hard, isn't it?" He whispers. I nod. Madge notices we're awake and smiles slightly. "Morning." She says. We say good morning and get up. Madge and Gale sit up straight, but Gale won't let Madge go. His arms are around her waist, keeping her close. "When does out train leave?" I ask. Madge looks down. "In 4 hours." She whispers. Gale pulls her even closer and she rests her head on his shoulder. Peeta grabs my hand and we walk to the kitchen.

"I hope Madge isn't too sad." Peeta says as we make ourselves some breakfast. "We'll just have to cheer her up, make her think about other things. She's gonna be quite depressed." I say and sit down. Peeta sits down opposite me and frowns slightly. We have our breakfast. Then Annie walks in with a sad face. "Isn't this so sad? They love each other but you're leaving and they'll miss each other and it's just _so sad_!" She says and sits down next to us. I nod.

After a few moments Finnick walks in as well. He gives Annie a quick kiss and sits down. "Morning Finnick." Peeta says. We all say good morning and he grabs some cereal. "Gale's gonna be in a crap mood when you leave. He was already unbearable last time." Finnick says. I chuckle slightly. I knew how moody Gale could be.

I put my hand on his shoulder. "Good luck." I say. Everyone chuckles. We wait till Finnick's finished. Then we all get dressed. I put on my shorts and a white tank top. I walk into the living room. Peeta looks at me and laughs. "What?" I ask. He stands up and gestures to his own clothes. "We match." He says. I see he's also wearing shorts and a white shirt. I laugh and give him a quick kiss.

After a while everyone's dressed and we're all sitting in the living room. "We still have three hours or something.." Peeta says. Madge squeezes Gale's hand and Annie watches them with a sad face. Finnick looks at Peeta and I. "When is the next school holiday?" He asks. I look at Peeta and he counts on his fingers. "In about 45 days." He then says and grins. I chuckle, and Finnick and Annie smile. "Great! You can expect us on your doorstep in about 45 days then!" Finnick says. We all laugh, also Gale and Madge. We talk for another hour or two. Then Annie looks at the clock and swallows.

"You better start getting ready, or you'll miss your train." She says. We nod and Peeta and I stand up and grab our bags. We grab all of our clothes which are all over the place and stuff them in our bags. I then see the dress Annie gave me. I grab it and walk out into the living room. "Annie, I really can't have this." I say. She sighs and rolls her eyes. "Katniss. Please. Just keep it. I want you to, okay?" She says and rubs my arm. I sigh as well. "Okay. Thanks Annie." I say and give her a hug. She smiles and I fold it carefully, putting it into my bag.

After a while we're all done and we walk back into the living room. "Madge, is your bag packed?" I ask. She looks up at me and nods. "I packed it this morning. It's in the hallway." She says. I nod slightly. "Well we're ready then." Peeta says. Everybody stands up. Gale grabs Madge's bag and Finnick grabs mine. We walk outside and towards the train station. Madge and Gale are walking hand in hand. The whole walk is rather silent. After about fifteen minutes or so we're there.

Finnick puts down my bag and pulls me in for a hug. "Look after yourself." He says. I smile. "Will do. We had a great time." I say. He smiles as well and leans back to give Peeta a hug. Suddenly I feel little arms around my waist. "I'll miss you so much! It was so much fun!" Annie says. I give her a big hug and tuck a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "We'll miss you too. I can't wait till the next holiday." I say and smile. She grins and walks over to Madge.

Gale walks over to me with sad eyes. "It was lovely to see you all again, Catnip. Take care. We'll be expecting a place to stay in a few weeks." He says. I chuckle and give him a hug. "It really was lovely. I'll miss you." I say. He smiles slightly and brushes my cheek. Then he looks at Peeta who's standing next to me. He gives him a hug. "Nice seeing you again Peeta." He says. Peeta smiles. "Nice seeing you too, Gale." He says. Gale turns around, but before he walks away, he stops. He turns around again and looks at Peeta.

"Look after Katniss. I mean it. I know you will, but yeah." He says with a serious voice. Peeta puts his arm around my waist and smiles. "I will." He says. Gale smiles and walks over to Madge. Peeta, Finnick, Annie and I just stand and watch them. It was like an old, sad, romantic movie. "Take care, Madge. We'll be in District 12 with you before you know it." Gale says. Madge looks down and nods slightly. Gale puts his thumb under Madge's chin and pushes it up gently so she's looking into his eyes. He steps forward and puts his forehead against hers.

"I love you." He says softly. "I love you too." She says and smiles. Gale gives her a long, gentle kiss and then pulls back. He sighs. "You better go, or you'll miss your train." He whispers. Madge nods and steps back. "Bye Gale." She says and walks over to us. Gale doesn't move, he just looks down, with his back facing us. Peeta and I say goodbye to Annie and Finnick and walk over to the train. We turn around and wave at the others. They wave back at us and we walk in.

We sit down at a window and smile at the others. Finnick and Annie wave at us, and we wave back. Gale looks down. Then I think I notice something on his cheek. No way. This _couldn't_ be happening. Was Gale.. crying? I had only seen him cry about three times in my whole lifetime. He looks up with watery eyes and one single tear on his right cheek. The train starts moving and we all wave one last time. Then Gale looks down and Annie puts her arms around his waist, and Finnick puts his arm on his shoulders.

I look up at Madge. She's just staring at her lap. Tears are running down her face silently. I get up and sit next to her. I put my arm around her and she lays her head on my shoulder. "It's okay, Madge." I whisper. She nods and I wipe her tears away with my thumb. Peeta puts his hand on her knee and she looks at both of us. "Why does he have to live in District 4? It's so unfair." She says with a weak voice. I sigh and nod slightly. "It is very unfair. But that's just how it is. You'll be able to see him again if a few weeks." I say. She nods again and sighs. I wipe her last tears away and she sits up straight.

We watch District 4 pass us by. The beach, the waves, the sun. After about half an hour it's all gone and we're in another District. "I'm going to the bathroom." Madge says and stands up. I nod and she walks out. Peeta grabs my hand. "She'll be okay. Don't worry about it." He says. He knew me too well. I smile and lean over to give him a small kiss. After a few moments Madge comes back and sits down.

We all talk for a while. Then Madge suddenly laughs softly. We look up at her and she grins. "You two are so silly. You're even wearing _matching clothes_." She says and laughs even harder. I laugh and roll my eyes. "We didn't really know the other was going to wear it." I say. Peeta chuckles and nods. "We look amazing though." He says and puts one hand on his hip, and the other behind his head. We laugh and Peeta grins.

After what feels like hours, the train finally starts slowing down. I look out of the window and see the woods. The sky was a light blue, but with a few clouds. The train goes slower and slower, until we're in the train station. The train stops and we stand up and grab our bags. I open the door and we walk out. It was so cold here. I look over at Peeta and Madge and see they're probably thinking the same thing, 'cause Peeta frowns and Madge crosses her arms over her chest.

We walk to Madge's house. "Do you wanna hang out later?" I ask. She shakes her head. "I think I just want to relax today. I'm really tired." She says. I nod and give her a quick hug. "Okay. See you tomorrow then or something." I say. She smiles and gives Peeta a quick hug too. Then she walks inside and closes the door. Peeta grabs my hand and we walk to our houses. "It's so cold." Peeta says. I laugh. "I was thinking the same thing when we came out of the train." I say.

He grins and squeezes my hand softly. "Great minds think alike you know." He says. I chuckle. We walk back to my house and stop on my porch. "I have to have a shower and stuff. Do you want to come over in half an hour?" I ask. He puts his arms around my waist and puts his head against mine. "What do you think?" He asks and gives me a short kiss. I chuckle and he leans back. "I'll see you in half an hour then." He says and walks over to his own house. He opens his front door and waves before he closes it again.

I walk inside and into the living room. My mother and Prim are sitting at the table, playing a board game. I walk over to them and smile. "Hi." I say. They both look up and smile. "Katniss!" Prim says and stands up to give me a big hug. "Did you have fun in District 4? What is it like?" She asks. I tell her that we went to the beach and had fun all the time. She smiles and sits down again. "Hi Katniss." My mother says. "Hi." I say. "How is Peeta doing?" She asks. "He's okay. He got his whole memory back. He only has a wound in the back of his head." I say. She nods slightly.

"How did you know..?" I ask. She looks down. "Jonathan told me. He was very upset and worried, and came here to talk." She says. I narrow my eyes. Then I turn around. "I'm upstairs if you need me." I say. I go to my room and open the door. I didn't really love my room, but it felt good to be here again after the few days in District 4. I put down my bag and sit on my bed. I take my hair out of its braid and take off my clothes. Then I walk into the bathroom and have a long, warm shower.

When I get back out I braid my hair again and put on the same clothes. I unpack my bag and put all of my clothes away. I take the dress out carefully and hang it up in my closet. When was I ever going to wear it? I put my bag away and walk downstairs again. My mother's in the kitchen and Prim is putting her shoes on. "Where are you going, little duck?" I ask. She looks up at me and blushes slightly. "I'm going to the park with Louis." She says and looks down again quickly.

I raise my eyebrows. "The park? With Louis? I see. Have you had fun with him while I was in four?" I ask. She rolls her eyes. "We hung out a few times. And yes, it was fun." She says. She stands up and straightens her skirt. "See you later." She says and gives me a quick hug. "Have fun with _Louis_." I say and grin. She rolls her eyes and walks out. Then I walk into the kitchen to have a quick sandwich. My mother looks up at me and smiles.

"I stayed home the whole week. Prim and I had quite a fun time. We played games and talked." She says. I nod slightly. "Good." I say. I grab some bread and jam. Then I sit down and eat my bread silently. My mother stares at me the whole time, but I try to avoid eye contact. Then she stands up and sighs. "I'm going into town with Rue's mother. She's really friendly. I'll be home for dinner." She says. "Okay. Have fun." I say. She smiles and strokes my arm softly. Then she walks out and I'm all alone.

I finish my sandwich and wash my plate. Then the doorbell goes. I walk to the front door and open it. Peeta walks in with a happy smile on his face. I close the door and he looks around. "Where are your mother and Prim?" He asks. "Prim is in the park with Louis, and my mother's in town." I say. He nods and then grins mischievously. He steps closer to me and puts his arms around my waist slowly. He looks down at me and leans closer to my face. He kisses my mouth softly and then whispers something into my ear.

"You know when we were in District 4? I knew I couldn't really make out with you, in front of everybody. But hey, would you look at that, we're in District 12 now." I chuckle and put my arms around his neck. He puts his hands on my legs and hitches them up and around his waist. He then pushes his lips against mine roughly. I feel his heart pumping quicker and my cheeks start burning. He walks us over to the living room and sits down on the sofa, with my legs still around his waist.

He gently leans backwards until he's lying down, with me on top of him. His hands squeeze my butt softly and I chuckle. He smiles into our kiss. We make out for a while. Then I lean back. "Would you like something to drink?" I ask. He laughs. "Sure." He says and releases me from his arms. I stand up and freeze. What was that thing on the table?

I walk over to the table. "Peeta.." I say. "What?" He asks. "I think we have a telephone." I say and turn around with the thing in my hands. He stands up and walks over. "That's great, you can call Gale, Finnick and Annie now too!" He says and smiles. "Or me." He then says and grins. I laugh. "Why would I ever have to call you? It's easier to just walk over to your house." I say. He laughs and shrugs.

Then he gives me Annie's, Finnick's and Gale's numbers. He sits on the sofa again and I decide to give Gale a quick ring. I dial in his number. After a few moments he answers. "Hello?" He asks with a tired voice. "Hi, Gale? It's me, Katniss. I, um, have a phone now, and I was just wondering how you're doing." I say. "Oh, hi Katniss," he says, "that's great. We can talk more often now. Yeah, I'm doing great." He says. I can nearly taste the sarcasm on that last sentence. I sigh. "You'll be back in no time, don't worry." I say.

Suddenly Peeta's arms are around my waist, and he's pressed up against me. He softly kisses my neck and jaw and I sigh again. "Well?" Gale asks. "Um, what?" I ask as my right hand runs through Peeta's hair. He chuckles. "I asked if the train ride was okay." He says. "Oh, yeah, it was, um, fine." I say. It was kinda hard to talk and concentrate if Peeta was behind me like this. I turn my head slightly and he kisses my jaw up to my mouth. "Okay, well, it sounds like your busy. So I'll call you tomorrow or something, okay?" Gale says. I nod and Peeta chuckles. "Oh, I mean, yeah, okay. Bye Gale." I say. He says goodbye and then hangs up.

I put the phone down and turn around. "Peeta.." I say before I press my lips against his. My arms wrap around his neck and he pushes me against a wall. He presses himself against me and kisses me roughly. "I love you." He says huskily between kisses. I lift one of my legs and he hitches it around his waist. I suddenly have a weird hunger. A hunger for.. Peeta. He picks me up and walks us over to the sofa again. I push him down on to his back and lie on top of him. He raises his eyebrows and smiles.

I kiss him again. Then I decide that his shirt is.. annoying me. So I lean back for a second and lift it up. He looks at me with a weird look in his eyes and lifts up his arms, so I can lift it over his head. I throw his shirt onto the ground and kiss him again. His arms wrap around my waist, and my hands trace his chest. His hands then slowly lift my tank top up a bit. "It's only fair if you take your shirt off as well." He whispers. I chuckle and take off my tank top. He smiles and kisses me again.

I notice his eyes are a bit darker. Just like the time that I took off my bra for him. It must be lust. His hands then slide down my back. They wriggle under my shorts and rest on my butt, on my underwear. His hands then slowly push my shorts down a bit. I take them off and throw them onto the ground as well, next to our shirts. "Only fair." I say as I then pull his shorts off. He chuckles and throws them onto the floor.

My hands run through his hair and try to pull him closer to me. His hands rest on my back, holding me close. Then they go up a bit, and he softly picks at my left bra strap. I lean back and he looks at me with a cheeky grin and dark eyes. I start to pull down one bra strap. "Let me." He whispers and pulls down the other. Then his hands go behind and try to open the clasp. After a few moments I hear a soft '_click_' and he takes off my bra. He throws it on the pile of clothes and stares at my chest for a moment. Then he looks up at me with dark red cheeks and a smile. He presses his lips against mine roughly.

While he kisses me, I wonder what he looks like without underwear. Would he look like he did in my dream? I had never seen a boy naked before, only in the books at school. So I'm kinda curious. And I mean, he's seen me without a part of my underwear on. So my hand travels down and softly tugs at his underpants. He swallows and looks at me. He raises his eyebrows and I blush. "I'm just curious." I whisper. He chuckles and takes off his underpants. I gasp. Wow.

He notices I'm staring and blushes even deeper. "I- you- I don't know what you expected- " he says, but I press my lips against his again. Suddenly I feel his fingers tug at my underwear. "I'm just curious." He whispers with a mischievous grin. I let him take off my underwear. He throws it on the floor and then looks at me. His eyes go wide. He looks up at me and smiles. "You're beautiful." He whispers huskily before he kisses me again.

His hands rest on my butt. After a few moments his hands slide a bit, going in between my legs. I can feel his fingers touch me softly and I gasp loudly. He chuckles. Then his left fingers start rubbing me. I gasp again and my breathing becomes heavy. He gave me the best feeling I had ever had. Since when could you feel such pleasure.. down there? "Where did you learn this?" I ask softly. He just chuckles.

Suddenly we hear someone putting keys in the front door. We both stop immediately and sit up, grabbing our clothes. I put on my underwear in record time and then put on my shorts. Peeta's dressed on time as well and helps me put on my shirt. Then my mother walks in. She walks in and looks on the table. "I'm so stupid, I forgot my bloody wallet." She murmurs. Then she grabs something and looks at us. "Oh hello." She says and smiles. Then her smile drops and her mouth opens slightly.

I look at Peeta and nearly laugh. His cheeks were dark red and his hair was very messy. I could just imagine what I looked like. I look down and cough, hiding my laughter. "Katniss?" My mother asks softly. "Yes?" I ask. I look up and see her staring at both of us. "Why are your shorts the wrong way round?" She asks. I look down and notice there isn't any zipper, but two pockets. I look up again and feel Peeta's body shake of laughter. "I, um, must have put it on wrong when I.. went to the toilet." I say.

My mother raises her eyebrows. Then she grabs a small mirror and walks over to us. "Look at yourself Katniss." She says and hands me over the mirror. Then she walks out and slams the front door behind her. I look in the mirror and gasp. My cheeks were red and my hair was all over the place. We both start laughing. "I can't believe that just happened." I say. Peeta laughs and nods. I straighten Peeta's hair a bit and then straighten my own. "Look at us." Peeta says and shakes his head. I chuckle and brush his cheek softly.

Then I look down. "You haven't answered my question." I say softly. He looks at me with a confused face. "What question?" He asks. "Where did you learn to do.. that. You know, what you were doing to me." I say softly. "My brothers gave me the talk a few months ago. Before we moved here. Their exact words were: 'If you find a nice chick in District 12, you have to know how to _please her_.'" He says and chuckles. I laugh. Then I stand up and put my shorts on properly. "That was so awkward." I then say and sit down.

Peeta laughs. "It was so funny though." He says and I nod. We turn the television on and Peeta pulls me on top of him. His eyes were bright again. We watch some television for an hour or two. Then Prim and Louis walk in. They're holding hands. "Hello." I say and grin at Prim. She blushes and looks away. "Hi." Louis says and smiles happily. Then Peeta lifts me off of him slowly. "What are you doing?" I ask. He winks at me. "I think I need to have a chat with Louis." He then says and walks out, pushing Louis in front of him.

**Peeta's POV**

I push him in front of me gently and close the door behind us. "What-" He says "You're falling for an Everdeen." I say. He looks down and I notice he starts blushing. "Maybe." He then says. I put my hand on his shoulder. "You're falling hard and quick. That's not good." I say. I should know. He looks up and narrows his eyes. "You fell in love with Katniss in the first week after you met her. That's kinda quick, don't you think?" He says. I chuckle.

"Yes, it is. But Katniss loved me too. And we're 16. Prim is only 14. She's new to the whole 'love' thing. She might not love you back." I say. Louis looks down. "Now, I'm not saying she doesn't. She looks like you're all she can think about, really. But I'm just warning you. Look out. Women are dangerous. Especially Everdeen's. They're so amazing they could break your heart, just like that, by saying they don't like you." I say. He nods and smiles. "Okay. Thanks." He says. We walk back out and I see Prim and Katniss looking at me with the same confused expression.

"I just needed to talk to him about some man stuff." I say. Louis nods and smiles. Then Prim and Louis walk out and go to Prim's room. I sit down next to Katniss and put my arm around her, pulling her close. "You didn't scare Louis, did you?" She asks. I chuckle. "No, don't worry." I say and give her a small kiss on the top of her head. We watch some more television, until it's time for dinner. Her mother comes home and walks past us, trying not to make eye contact. She walks into the kitchen and closes the door to make some dinner. We laugh, her mother was so.. embarrassed, it seemed.

"I better go then." I say and stretch my back. Katniss gives me a kiss and stands up. I stand up as well and we walk outside. I stop on her porch and turn around. I put my arms around her waist and pull her close. She gives me one last kiss and then pulls back. "I'll see you tomorrow." She says. I smile. "See you tomorrow." I say and brush her cheek softly. She smiles. Then I let go and walk home. I wave at her and close the door behind me.

I walk into the living room. Leo walks over to me and gives me a big hug. He was the only one I hadn't seen since I came back from four today. He sighs and doesn't let go. "You scared the crap out of us, man." He then says and leans back. I smile. "Sorry." I say and he slaps my arm softly. Then he turns me around and examines the back of my head. "Jezus.." He murmurs. I swallow. He turns me around again and looks at me with wide eyes. "That's bad." He says and I nod.

He walks back to the sofa and sits down. I go into the kitchen and help my Dad make dinner. Then we have dinner in the living room, and I tell everyone about District 4. "It's really warm. And everyone's tanned, it's really weird." I say. They laugh, and even my mother smiles slightly. We finish our dinners. Then I decide to just go to bed. Today had been a very long day. "Goodnight everyone." I say and walk upstairs. I have a quick shower and put on my pajamas. Then I turn the lights off and lie down.

I stare at the wall. Then I notice the little blue box on top of my closet. Actually we were really lucky Mrs. Everdeen walked in. Otherwise we might have not been able to stop ourselves. My god, I might have even knocked her up. My father would be so angry. 'Just keep your frosting in your pants.' It wasn't that easy. I sigh and turn around. After a while my eyes close and I fall asleep.

**Author's Note: Hellooo, hope you all liked the chapter. Yes, I know, you_ all_ want them to make love. But don't worry, it will happen sooner than you think. Anyway, thanks for reading, and the next chapter will probably be up by tomorrow! :)**


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Note: I feel so bloody dumb. I can't believe I made that mistake again. For the people who didn't notice, in the last chapter I said Louis but I actually meant Liam. I don't know why I keep forgetting who's who. So: Liam is the small one who likes Prim. Louis is the big one who likes Madge. I'm sorry for making the mistake _again _:/  
Next time I do it just yell at me or something. Anyway, here's chapter 31!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 31_

**Katniss' POV  
**  
I feel something heavy and furry on my face. I open my eyes and sit up straight. The furry thing jumps off and hisses at me. "Get out of here you little-!" I yell and throw my pillow at Buttercup. She hisses and runs out. I get up and have a quick shower. Then I put on some clothes and braid my hair. When I walk downstairs, I notice Prim and my mother have already had breakfast. I grab some breakfast and say good morning.

"Morning Katniss." My mother says and smiles slightly. I take a bite from my bread. Then my mother looks up at me again. "What are you getting Peeta for his birthday?" She asks. I choke on my bread and Prim slaps my back. "What?" I yell. She raises her eyebrows. "It's his birthday in two days. I thought you knew." She says. I count the days and then realize she's right. Oh no. Then I frown. "Jonathan told you, did he?" I ask. She looks down and nods slightly.

"What am I going to get him?" I ask and run my hands through my hair. Prim looks up at me and narrows her eyes for a moment. "How about some painting stuff?" She asks. I shake my head. "It has to be special." I say. Prim nods slightly. "Why don't you go into town and look for something there?" She then says. I suppose I'd have to. I nod and smile. Then the doorbell goes. Oh yeah, I was going to do something with Peeta today.

I stand up and open the front door. Peeta walks in and gives me a small kiss. "Good morning." He says and smiles. I smile. "Morning Peeta." I say. We walk in and he says hello to Prim and my mother as well. My mother says hi and then frowns. She looks down for a moment. Then she looks back up at me, with a serious face. "Katniss, can I talk to you for a moment?" She asks. Peeta squeezes my hand and then lets go.

"Um, yeah, I suppose." I say and walk into the kitchen with my mother. She closes the door behind us and I swallow. She looks down and closes her eyes briefly. "I don't know what you've done with Peeta. And I don't really want to know. But just know that you shouldn't get pregnant before you're 20 at least, it's-" She says and I start laughing. "Don't- don't worry. Really. I'm still a.. you know." I say and look at her seriously. She sighs and smiles.

"Okay then." She says and puts her hand on my shoulder as we walk back into the living room. Peeta and Prim are on the sofa next to each other, laughing. "What's so funny?" I ask and sit down next to Peeta. They both stop laughing and grin at each other. "Nothing." Prim says and walks out. Peeta puts his hand over his mouth and shakes with laughter. "Peeta, what were you talking about?" I ask seriously. He looks at me and stops laughing. "Nothing. Don't worry." He says and grins.

Was he going to play it this way? Okay then. I stand up and close the door. Prim was leaving now and my mother wouldn't dare walk in on us again. I take my hair out of its braid and lick my lips slowly. He narrows his eyes. "You wouldn't." He says. I grin mischievously. "Oh yes I would." I say. He sighs and looks down. I sit next to him and brush his cheek softly. He smiles slightly and I know it won't take long before he tells me. I push him back slightly and sit on his lap with my legs around his waist. He looks at the wall and frowns. I put my hands on his chest and kiss his collarbones softly. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. I work my way up to his neck, then his jaw. I stop just before I touch his lips. I get off of him and sit at the table.

He opens his eyes and looks at me with his mouth slightly open. "You can't do that! You can't work your way up and then stop before you touch my lips!" He whines. I chuckle and braid my hair again. He walks over to me and pulls me up. He puts his arms around my waist and leans in to kiss me, but I put my hand on his mouth. "Tell me what you were talking about." I say. He rolls his eyes. "I want a kiss first." He says and pouts. I give him a small kiss and he smiles. "It isn't anything bad. It's just that, you know the way you talk in your sleep?" He says.

I swallow. I thought I had stopped doing that months ago. All those times I slept at Peeta's- "Last night you said something.. amusing. Prim heard you." He says and grins. I frown. "What did I say?" I ask. He clears his throat and mocks my voice. "Oh, Peeta.. Yes I love it when you do that... Hmmm yes, just like that. Perfect." He says with a high voice and then starts laughing. My cheeks start burning. I didn't even remember what I dreamed about. Peeta brushes my cheek softly with his thumb. "Sounds like you had a nice dream." He whispers and grins mischievously.

I roll my eyes and slap his arm softly. I walk over to the table. "Have you heard me talk in my sleep before?" I ask. He nods. "A load of times. Nearly every time you're at my house. And when we were in District 10. But not in four or when everyone was here." He says. I gasp. "I've been sleep-talking all that time and you only tell me now?" I yell. "Well usually you'd only murmur some weird stuff, like 'yes, that's the yellow I was looking for' or something strange." He says and pouts. Then he walks over to me and puts his arms around my waist again. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." He says and looks at me with sad eyes. I sigh and give him a small kiss. "It's okay." I say and he smiles.

Then I look up again. "Actually it's not okay. Why didn't you remind me that it's your birthday in two days?" I say. He grins and shrugs. "I don't know. I don't want you to buy me anything anyway. I would like you to come to my house though." He says. I roll my eyes. "Okay." I say. Then I think of something. "Peeta, could you, um, get me a drink? I'm really thirsty." I say. He nods and gives me a small kiss on the cheek. Then he walks out and into the kitchen. I close the door and grab the phone. I dial in Madge's number as quick as I can.

"Hello?" Madge says. "Madge, it's me, Katniss. I don't really have time to explain, but can you pick me up in half an hour and say that I have to come with you? Say it's an emergency or something, but Peeta can't come." I whisper. She's silent for a moment. "Well, okay, but-" Peeta walks in with a drink. "Yeah, okay Gale, I'll call you later! Bye!" I say and hang up. Madge must think I'm so weird. Peeta gives me a cup. "Did Gale call?" He asks and sits down. I sit down as well and nod. "Yeah. But he didn't have a lot of time so he said he'd call me back later." I say and look down. I try and avoid Peeta's eye-contact, otherwise he'd see I was lying.

He just nods and sips his tea. We sit down on the sofa and watch some television for a while. After half an hour the doorbell rings. We stand up and walk to the door. "Hey Madge, what are you doing here?" I ask. She looks at Peeta and I and then grabs my hand. "One of the cleaners threw all of my bra's away. I only have one left, so I really have to buy some now in town, but I can't go alone because I'm scared Louis will start talking to me." She says quickly. I hold in my laughter as Peeta looks down with red cheeks.

"Um, okay, Peeta, I suppose I'll see you when I come back then." I say as Madge pulls me down the street. He looks at us with a confused face and then shakes his head. He waves and closes my door and walk to his own home. When we're around the corner Madge releases my hand and I start laughing. "Your bra's? Really?" I ask. She grins. "If we were shopping for anything else he would have come with us." She says. She had a point there. "So why do you have to go into town without Peeta?" She asks. "It's Peeta's birthday in two days." I say. She turns her head slightly and raises her eyebrows. "Yeah, I know." She says. Was I really the only one who had forgotten? "Well I don't have a present yet." I murmur.

She shakes her head. "I got him some paints. They're from the capitol." She says and smiles. Great. Madge got him an expensive gift from the capitol. What the hell was I going to get him? I frown and look down. We walk to town and go into a lot of shops. "How about this?" Madge asks and holds up a tiny, pink apron. I laugh and slap her arm softly. She grins and puts it down again. We walk into another shop, and suddenly I see Rye and his friend, Sam. "Hi guys." Rye says and smiles. "Hi Rye." I say. "What are you doing here?" He asks.

"Looking for a present for your brother." I say and roll my eyes. Rye laughs and holds up a bag. "I got him a pink apron." He says and grins. We all start laughing and Madge gives him a high-five. "Told you it was a good idea!" She says and grins. "What could I give him though?" I ask. Rye shrugs. "I don't know. Some pencils or something?" He asks. I shake my head. "I want it to be a bit special." I say. Rye grins mischievously. "How 'bout your virginity?" He then asks. Everyone starts laughing and I look down with a red face. "Shut up Rye." I murmur and slap him.

Rye and Sam walk away, laughing. Madge yells 'bye' and they wave back at us. Then Madge turns to me. "He's really funny." She says and laughs. I roll my eyes. "That wasn't funny." I say. Madge chuckles and we walk into another shop. After half an hour, we've been through most shops in town, but I still haven't found anything. We sit down and Madge sighs. "Just give him some money, then he can buy something he likes." She says. I shake my head and frown. Then I sigh. "We better start going back or Peeta will get worried. After all, it shouldn't take too long to buy some bra's." I say and stand up. Madge chuckles and we walk back home.

We knock on Peeta's door and he opens a few moments later. He gives me a kiss and then let's us in. "So, did you find.. what you were looking for?" Peeta asks Madge and then looks down. Madge looks at me and winks. "Oh, my _bra's_? Well we looked for a while. But they didn't have any nice ones. I like _red, lacy ones_. What about you Peeta? What _bra's_ do you think are prettiest?" She asks. Peeta looks down and his cheeks go a dark red. We laugh and he rolls his eyes. I put my arm around his waist and he smiles. Madge chuckles. "It's so funny how you blush if someone says the word 'bra'." Madge says. Peeta glares at her and I laugh.

We sit down on the sofa. Madge looks at me and then turns to Peeta. "So what do you want for your birthday, Peeta? I haven't gotten anything yet." She says. He shrugs. "I don't want anything really. I've got my health, family, friends, and girlfriend." He says and smiles at me. I squeeze his hand softly. Madge rolls her eyes. "Yeah, but what would you like to have?" She asks. "I don't need any presents, really." He says. Madge sighs and shakes her head. "My Dad and Leo kinda organized a party for me in two days. You're both coming, aren't you?" He asks and looks at both of us.

We both nod and he smiles. "Great." He says and gives me a small kiss.

_Two days later_

My alarm clock goes off and I sigh. It was Peeta's birthday today, but I hadn't gotten him anything. For the past two days, he wouldn't leave me go anywhere without him. I even tried the 'I need to buy a bra' excuse, but he just rolled his eyes. So now I didn't have any present for him. Great. Wasn't I just the best girlfriend ever?

I get out of bed and have a quick shower. Then I put on my shorts and a red tank top. I decide not to braid my hair, as Peeta liked it when it was hanging over my shoulders. I go downstairs and have some cereal. Even Prim had a present for Peeta. She wouldn't tell me what she got though. She walks in with a grin on her face. "Morning Katniss." She says. "Why won't you just tell me?" I ask. I hated not-knowing things. She chuckles. "You'll find out later." She says.

I sigh and finish my breakfast. Then I put on the television, as Peeta's party didn't start for another hour yet. Suddenly there's a commercial. _'Panem's best dancers, teaching you how to move now! In every District in the town hall on Saturday nights!'_ The commercial ends and I think about how Peeta loved dancing with me when we were in that restaurant in District 4. This would be the perfect present. We would have some time alone, and he'd be doing something he really likes but can never do. Plus, I could use some dancing lessons, my moves were terrible.

I run out into the kitchen. "Prim! I think I have the perfect present!" I yell. I tell her about the commercial and she grins. "That would be the perfect present. You did it, Katniss." She says. I smile and walk into the living room. Suddenly the phone goes. "Hello?" I say. "Congratulations with your boyfrieeend!" Finnick, Annie and Gale yell down the phone. I laugh. "Thank you!" I say and they chuckle. "We called him a minute ago. Nearly gave him a heart attack, we were that loud." Gale says. I laugh again.

We talk for a while, then they hang up. I watch some more television. Then the doorbell goes. I open it and find Madge with a wrapped present in her hands. "Congratulations!" She says and gives me a hug. Why was everyone congratulating me, it wasn't my birthday. I call Prim and close the door behind us and tell Madge about my present. "That's a really good idea. He'd love it." She says and smiles. We knock on his front door. He opens it and I notice he's wearing a new blue shirt, which matches his eyes perfectly. "Happy 17th Birthday!" I yell and give him a big kiss. He kisses me back and chuckles. "Thank you." He says and smiles. Madge and Prim give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek as well. Then he leaves us in and we walk to the living room.

Leo, Rye and Mr. Mellark smile. "Hi girls." Mr. Mellark says as he blows up another balloon. "Hi Mr. Mellark." Madge says and smiles. They put down their presents and everyone stares at me. Peeta smiles. "I _do _have a present for you." I say. He rolls his eyes, and Rye grins at me mischievously. I shake my head at him and he laughs. Peeta looks at us with a confused face and I roll my eyes. "Long story, I'll tell you later." I say. Then the doorbell rings and Peeta goes to open it. He comes back with two boys from school. I know they're his friends, but I can't remember their names.

"Hi Katniss!" One of them says and gives me a small hug. "Hi.." I say and look at Madge. _Harry_ she mouths. "Harry!" I say. Madge chuckles and the other boy walks over and smiles at me. "Hello Katniss." He says. _Roger_. "Hi Roger." I say and smile back. I give Madge a thumbs up and she grins. Then Louis walks in. "Oh no." Madge murmurs. "Hi Madge!" Louis says and walks over to us. "Hey Louis." Madge says with an irritated voice. He puts his arm around her waist and she pushes it off again and stands next to me. Louis puts his arm behind his neck and smiles.

Then Peeta walks in with his arm around someone's waist. It was that blond one from school... I think her name was Delly. Her right arm is on Peeta's shoulders and she's poking his belly with her left hand. Then they both let go and she gives him a kiss on the cheek, right next to his mouth. I feel my face get hotter and Madge looks at me with a worried face. "Katniss, relax." She says. I walk over to Delly and Peeta and glare at her. "Did you just kiss him?" I ask. She looks at Peeta and then at me.

"Um, yeah-" She stutters, but Peeta interrupts. "Katniss." He says and looks at me with warning eyes. I glare at both of them and walk into the kitchen. I close the door and put my elbows on the table and my head in my hands. I breath in slowly and try to relax. She couldn't just do that though. I wasn't jealous. But she kissed him, nearly on the lips. If he had moved slightly it would have been on the lips. Was she trying to steal him from me? Did he like her? She-

The door opens and I feel someone stare at me. I don't look up. A few moments later the person walks over to me and I see his shoes. Peeta. "Katniss." He says softly. I look up at him. "You don't seriously think I like her or she likes me do you?" He asks with a hurt face. "Well she did nearly kiss you on the lips, and your arm was around her waist and stuff." I say. He sighs. "Delly and I have been best friends for ever. Our parents knew each other since we were baby's, so every time they visited each other, they'd bring us and we'd play together. She's just a good friend, Katniss. She's like a sister to me. I can't believe you're jealous." He says softly.

My head snaps up. "I'm not _jealous_." I say. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Then he sighs and turns around. "Peeta.." I say. He stops and stands there. "I'm sorry. I'm being ridiculous. I was just worried. I suppose I was a little bit jealous. I'm really sorry." I say. He turns around and looks at me seriously. Then he walks over to me and puts his hands on my cheeks. "Just promise you won't think I like someone else ever again." He says. I bite my lip and nod slowly. Then he smiles and gives me a kiss.

Someone behind us clears their throat. We turn around and see Delly stand in the doorway. "Um, I'm sorry to ruin the moment, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry." She says. I sigh. "No, I'm sorry. I just didn't know you were friends." I say. Delly looks at Peeta and raises her eyebrows. "You've never told her about me?" She asks. Peeta chuckles and looks down. Delly laughs and shakes her head. Then Peeta puts his arm around my waist and we all walk back into the living room. I notice Louis is talking to Madge but she isn't listening at all. There are also another few people, some are from school and some I don't recognize.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're here!" Peeta says and runs over to some people. He gives them a big hug. "Well I wouldn't want to miss my nephews 17th birthday, would I?" A blond woman says and strokes his head. There are also two girls, one is about 14 and I think the other is 8 or 9. And then there's a man, who's probably his uncle, and a boy of our age. They're all blond with blue eyes, and the woman looks just like Peeta's father.

Peeta turns around and walks over to me. He puts his arm around my waist and walks us over to his family. "This is my girlfriend, Katniss Everdeen." He says. They all smile. "This is my aunt, she's my dad's sister, and this is her husband, and their three children, Anna, Lucy, and Robert." He says and gestures to them. The small girl, Anna gives me a hug. "When I talked to Peeta on the phone last week he told me you were very pretty." She says and grins. Peeta looks down and blushes. I smile and squeeze his hand softly.

"Nice to meet you." I say and smile. "They came all the way from District 6." Peeta says and grins. They nod and smile. We talk for a while, and I notice Robert keeps looking at Delly. Peeta chuckles and whispers "she doesn't have a boyfriend." He blushes and looks down. Anna talks to me most of the time. She really likes talking. She reminds me of Prim when she was younger, the blond hair, blue eyes, friendly and as innocent as a lamb. After a while Prim walks over and they start talking.

Then Leo stands on a chair and claps his hand. "Listen up! It's time for the presents!" He says loudly. Everyone sits on the sofa's, chairs, or just on the floor next to them. Peeta's in the middle of the biggest sofa. I try and sit somewhere else, but he grabs my hand and pulls me next to him. I look up at him and he grins. "Okay, I'll be first!" Madge says and hands him the box. He unwraps it and hugs Madge. "Thanks Madge. I really needed new paint." He says and smiles. Then some of his friends from school give him their presents. He gets a load of different things. Then it's Rye's turn. He pulls out the bag and hands it over. Madge and I put our hands on our mouth as Peeta opens the bag. He looks inside and frowns. He pulls the apron out and glares at Rye. Everyone starts laughing and Peeta eventually laughs as well. "Happy Birthday brother!" Rye says and gives him a big hug. Peeta laughs again and shakes his head. "Thanks for the.. pink apron. I'm sure I'll use it sometime." He says and everyone chuckles.

Then it's Prim's turn. She hands him a big envelope. He opens it and looks inside. Then he looks at Prim with a confused face. "How?" He asks. Prim grins. "I found an old camera in town a few weeks ago. I've secretly been making photo's of the two of you ever since. I even gave Madge the camera when you went to District 4 so she could make a few pictures of you there." Prim says and grins. Madge nods. Peeta pulls out the pictures and puts them on the table. They were nearly all of Peeta and I, and Madge was on a lot of them. Finnick, Gale and Annie were even on some of them. We were in the park, hugging each other, holding hands, on the sofa, on the beach. A load of different photo's. Peeta looks up and smiles. "Thanks Prim, this is amazing." He says and gives her a hug.

Then I realize I'm the only one who hasn't given a present yet. Everyone stares at me and I clear my throat. "Um, my present is that I'm taking you dancing every Saturday night.." I say softly, and I realize it sounds pretty stupid. "Aw!" Lucy says. Peeta smiles and gives me a big hug. "Thank you Katniss." He whispers and gives me a quick kiss. Leo clears his throat. "Uhum, there are little children in the house." He says and Anna giggles. Peeta laughs and leaves his arm around my waist. He thanks everyone again and then Mr. Mellark walks in with a big cake.

"Oooh, cake." Anna says softly and we all laugh. It was gigantic. You could see Mr. Mellark had been working hard on it. Peeta stands up and gives his father a big hug. "Thanks Dad." He says. Mr. Mellark smiles and Rye turns off the lights. I even notice his mother standing in the corner, smiling slightly. Everyone starts singing happy birthday, and Peeta waves his arms in the air slowly. We all laugh and he blows out the candle on top of the cake. We all clap and he starts cutting the cake. He gives everyone a piece and they all sit down. Then he hands me a plate and grabs one himself. We sit down on the sofa and everyone talks with each other.

When everyone's done Leo stands on a chair again. "Okay, it's time for a game!" He says. Everyone sits down in a circle on the ground. "As it is Peeta's birthday today, we're going to do a game about him. I spin the bottle, and if it lands on you, you have to tell us something about Peeta. Why he's a good friend, how you met, a funny moment. Things like that. Then you spin the bottle and it's somebody else's turn. I'll start." Leo says. Then he clears his throat and looks at Peeta with a grin.

"Peeta is an amazing guy. He's my brother, but luckily also my friend. You can tell him anything, and he won't judge you. If you have a problem, you can go to him and he'll help you. It's little things like that that make my little brother special." He says and smiles. Peeta smiles. "Thanks Leo." He says. Leo then spins the bottle, and it lands on Madge. "Well, I remember how I met Peeta. Him and Katniss had little crushes on each other, and one day Katniss introduced me to him. Obviously I already knew who he was and stuff. So I said hi to him and then told him Katniss had told me everything about him. You should have seen the blush on both of their faces, it was hilarious!" She says and everyone laughs.

Peeta laughs as well and shakes his head. "Thank you Madge." He says. Madge grins and spins the bottle. It lands on Harry, one of his friends. "Well, I've only known Peeta for a few months now. But he's one of my best buddies. If I ever need help with anything, I know I can knock on his door anytime. He's really funny and I'm glad he moved here." He says and smiles. Peeta grins and says thanks. Harry spins the bottle and it lands on Anna.

"Well, Peeta is my big nephew. He's not my only nephew, I also have Rye and Leo. But Peeta's the youngest of all of his siblings, just like me, and that's why I like him most. We talk a lot and he's very nice. He's very funny and he always plays with me. He's like a second big brother to me!" She says and grins. Peeta chuckles. "Thank you Anna. And I understand why you like me most." He says. Everyone laughs and Leo and Rye just shake their heads. Anna walks over to them and gives them a hug. "I like you too, don't worry." She says. They laugh and she sits down again.

She spins the bottle softly and it lands on some of his other friends and family. They all say lovely things about him, or how they met him. Then the bottle lands on Rye. "Well, I met Peeta exactly 17 years ago," he says, and everyone laughs, "and I knew from the moment I saw him that he would be a good guy. He always smiles, even when he was a baby. He's gotten me into a lot of trouble over the past few years, with mum and dad, with friends, school, and even girls." He says and everyone chuckles. "But I'm proud to call him my little brother." He says and smiles. "Thanks Rye." He says and smiles. Then Rye turns the bottle and it lands on me.

What was I going to say? I feel everybody stare at me and sigh. I grab Peeta's hand and he looks at me. "I remember the first time I met you. We were at maths. You sat next to me and said hi. Since then I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. You're the sweetest, funniest, smartest, most handsome boy I've ever met. I really feel like I've known you forever, even though it's only a few months. I could go on and on about funny moments, or how beautiful your eyes are when the sun shines, or how perfect you really are, but I think you already know what I think about you. I love you Peeta." I say. Everyone's silent as Peeta strokes my cheek with his thumb. I realize we're both blushing.

"I love you too. Thank you." He says softly. He gives me a kiss and I nearly put my arms around his neck, but then I remember we're in a room with fifteen other people. So when he pulls back I just smile and spin the bottle. It lands on Delly. "First I just wanna say you two are adorable." She says and gestures towards both of us. We chuckle and she grins. "I've known Peeta since we were both tiny. I grew up with him, and he was like the brother I never had. We had great times, playing together, going on vacation together, just growing up together. It was all amazing, and I'm glad I know you. You're an amazing friend, brother, nephew, cousin, classmate and boyfriend. Everyone who meets you just instantly likes you. I know I did." She says and smiles.

Peeta smiles. "Thanks Dell." He says. Then everyone has had a turn. "Thanks everyone. Really. I couldn't imagine having better friends or family. You're the most amazing people. This really meant a lot to me." He says and smiles at everyone. Everyone claps and then we all stand up and grab some snacks. Suddenly the lights go off and Leo stands on a chair. "It's time for the disco!" He says and clicks on a button next to the light switch. Suddenly a load of colored lights go on and dance on the walls. Rye hangs up a big disco ball in the middle of the room and turns on some music.

Leo jumps off of the chair and puts his hands in the air. "Party time!" He yells and starts shaking his butt. We all laugh and start dancing a bit. I grab a drink and walk over to Leo. "You and your Dad organized a brilliant party." I say. He smiles. "Thanks Katniss. I really enjoyed organizing it. Might make it my career someday!" He jokes and we laugh. Then he grabs my hand and pulls me into the middle of the room. He starts dancing like a lunatic and I laugh. He waves my arms and we dace around for a bit. After a while he let's go and I walk over to Madge with a big smile.

I talk to everyone for a while, and dance a little bit. Not too much though, I didn't want to embarrass myself. After a while the song changes. A slow, romantic song comes on. A lot of people stand at the side, and suddenly someone's tapping on my shoulder. I turn around and see Peeta with his hand out, a big smile and raised eyebrows. I chuckle and put my hand in his. We walk to the middle of the living room and he puts his hands on my waist. I put my arms around his neck. Then I realize nobody's dancing, only us two.

He looks down at me and smiles. "I love you Katniss. Thanks for everything." He says. I smile and give him a small kiss. Then I notice more people are starting to dance. Lucy was dancing with Harry, and Robert was just asking Delly if she wanted to dance. I then chuckle when I see Louis trying to get Madge to dance. "Oh come on! Just one dance!" He says. Madge rolls her eyes. "No Louis." She says and walks away. Little Anna is dancing with Rye, and Leo is dancing with his aunt. Nearly everyone was just messing a bit.

After a while the song ends and Peeta gives me a long kiss. I put my arms around his neck and he puts his arms around my waist. Then he leans back and sighs. He looks around and grins mischievously. Then he grabs my arm and pulls me outside. We stand on the porch and he pulls me into his arms again. He leans his head against mine and smiles. "This is the best birthday I've ever had." He whispers. I smile. "Good." I say and lean in to kiss him. His arms tighten around me and I lean into his chest.

After a few moments we hear someone open the door. We pull back and I turn around. It's Anna. She giggles. "Everyone's looking for you two." She says and turns around again, still giggling. We chuckle and Peeta grabs my hand. We walk back in and Leo sighs. "Seriously? Even on your own birthday party, you just sneak out so you can make out with Katniss?" He says and shakes his head. We laugh and Peeta grins.

We all dance a bit and talk for another while. Suddenly it's nine o'clock and everyone's leaving. We say goodbye to all of his friends. Then his family leave. "It's a shame we can't stay longer. But we have to go to work in the morning. So we'll be going now, it was lovely seeing you again!" Peeta's aunt says. Peeta gives them all a hug. "Thanks for coming." He says and smiles. They all say goodbye to me as well and then leave. There's only Peeta, his brothers and father, Madge, Louis, Prim and I. "Well, I better go. Do you need a ride home, Madge?" Louis asks. "No thank you. Bye Louis." She says. Louis says goodbye to all of us and leaves as well. Then Prim decides to go home already as well.

Madge and I help them clean up the room a bit. It wasn't too messy, but it wasn't very clean either. After a while the whole room is clean again. "Okay, I'm gonna go home now. I'll see you guys tomorrow or something. Happy birthday, Peeta!" Madge says and gives us both a hug. Then she leaves. "I better go home as well." I say. Peeta pouts and grabs my hand. We walk to my house and we stop on my porch. Peeta puts his arms around my waist and smiles. "Today was amazing. And it wouldn't have been the same without you." He whispers. I smile and give him a kiss. Then I lean back. "Did I mention you looked handsome tonight? Must be the fact that you're a year older. Every year must make you sexier or something." I say and grin. Peeta chuckles and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. "I love you Katniss. I'll see you tomorrow." He says and gives me one last kiss. Then he turns around and walks away.

Before he opens his door he looks at me again. "It's Saturday tomorrow, isn't it?" He asks. I nod and he smiles. "Great. Put on your dress, we're going dancing, uhu!" He says and shakes his hips. I laugh and he waves before he opens his door and walks in. I walk inside and go over to Prim. "I can't believe you didn't notice I was following you and making pictures. I wasn't even hiding behind trees or anything, I was just walking a few meters behind you." Prim says and laughs. I roll my eyes. I really did forget what was happening around me when I was with Peeta.

I say goodnight and go to my bedroom. I put on my pajamas and get ready for bed. Then I jump in and close my eyes. I was exhausted, it had been a very tiring day. It was a load of fun though. My Peeta is 17. I smile and drift away.

**Author's Note: Hellooo, this was chapter 31. I probably won't be able to update tomorrow, as I'm going to a wedding! I'm very sorry, and that's why I made this chapter quite long. So next chapter will be up by Friday evening! :)**


	32. Chapter 32

**Author's Note: Hi guys, I'm so so so sorry for not uploading yesterday! My laptop was being weird and it wouldn't turn on properly. It seriously scared the shit out of me. But it's okay again now, so here's chapter 32! Oh, and thanks to all of the people wishing me a good time at the wedding! :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 32_

**Katniss' POV**

Someone knocks on my bedroom door and my eyes snap open. My door opens a bit and Prim's head looks at me through the crack. "Katniss? Peeta's waiting for you downstairs." She says and closes the door again. What? Why? I turn my head and look at my clock. It was 11.30 already! Shit. I jump out of bed and have a quick shower. Then I put on some clothes and run downstairs. Peeta's on the sofa next to Prim. Prim's head is on his shoulder. I smile and walk in. They both look up. "Morning sleepyhead." Peeta says and grins. I chuckle and sit down next to him. He gives me a small kiss on the cheek.

"What are you watching?" I ask. "A cooking program. This week they're making strawberry muffins." Peeta says. I roll my eyes and put my head on Peeta's other shoulder. He chuckles as his fingers slide into mine. We watch the cooking program for a while. "Ugh, everyone knows you _don't_ do that. Why are they doing that? They're ruining the muffins!" Peeta says. Prim and I laugh as Peeta rolls his eyes. Then my stomach makes some weird sounds. Peeta and Prim both look at my belly. "Sounds like someone's hungry." Peeta then says and stands up. He walks out and into the kitchen before I can say that I'll just grab some cereal or something.

I look at Prim and smile. "You know, I'm so glad you like Peeta." I say. She smiles. "I've liked Peeta since the moment I met him. You just can't not like him." She says and shrugs. I chuckle. I knew exactly what she was talking about. Peeta just had something. "So how's Liam?" I ask and grin mischievously. She blinks and then then looks at the television again. "He's fine." She says casually. "Oh, that's good." I say. Prim nods slightly and doesn't make eye-contact. "Prim?" I ask. "Yes?" "Look me in the eye and say you don't like Liam." I say and grin again.

She looks at me in shock. "Katniss!" She yells as her cheeks start changing color. I raise my eyebrows as she glares at me. Then she looks away and I start laughing. "I thought so." I say and smile. Then Peeta walks back in with toast, eggs, and some orange juice. I stand up and he grins as he puts down the plate. "You didn't have to make me breakfast." I say. He shrugs. "I wanted to." He says and smiles. I put my arms around his neck and give him a kiss. His arms wrap around my waist. After a few moments we hear Prim clear her throat. We both pull back and I sit down with red cheeks. Prim chuckles.

I have my delicious breakfast. Then the phone rings and I pick it up. "Hewwoh?" I ask with a full mouth. Peeta, Prim and the person on the other end of the line all laugh. I swallow my food and clear my throat. "I mean, hello?" I say. "Hi Katniss. Liam here. Can I maybe talk to Prim?" He asks. "Sure." I say. "Prim, it's for you. It's _Liam_." I say and grin. Her cheeks go pink and she smiles. She stands up and grabs the phone. "Hi Liam." She says and smiles. She listens for a moment and then nods. "Okay. When will you be here?" She asks. Peeta raises his eyebrows and Prim sticks out her tongue. "Okay. I'll see you in twenty minutes then. Bye!" She says and smiles. She puts down the phone and looks down with a big smile on her face.

"So.." I say with a grin. Prim looks up and rolls her eyes. "Shut up Katniss. He'll be here in twenty minutes. Don't say anything embarrassing." She says and points her finger at both of us. We both chuckle. Then she goes upstairs and closes the door. I finish my breakfast and bring out the plate. Then I sit next to Peeta on the sofa. He smiles. "Enjoy your breakfast?" He asks and puts his arm around my shoulders. I nod. "Thank you, it was delicious." I say and give him a small kiss. We watch tv, and after about fifteen minutes the doorbell goes. We hear Prim run down the stairs as quick as she can. Then she clears her throat and straightens her hair before she opens the door.

"Hi Liam." We hear her say. "Hi Prim." He says. The door closes and a few moments later they both walk in. Liam smiles at us. "Hi guys." He says. Peeta waves. "Hi Liam." He says and grins. "Hi." I say and grin at Prim. She glares at me and then turns to Liam. "Shall we just watch some television before we go to the park?" She asks. "Sure." Liam says as they walk over to us. They sit down on the floor in front of us, right next to each other. Prim changes the channel a few times, until it stops on _MTV_ or something. Liam puts his hands on the floor behind him, and after a while Prim rests her head on his shoulder.

He looks back at us with a big smile and red cheeks and we both chuckle silently. After a while I look up at Peeta and grin mischievously. Peeta, knowing me so well, knows what I'm planning and nods and grins. We both turn to Liam and Prim. "So, Liam." I say. Prim and Liam both turn around and look at me. "What do you think of Prim?" I ask. Both of their mouths open slightly and their cheeks go red. Peeta and I both grin. "W- what?" Liam stutters. I chuckle. "Katniss just asked what you think of Prim." Peeta says and I nod.

Prim glares at both of us. "She's, um, very nice.. and stuff." Liam murmurs and looks down. Prim smiles slightly. "Ah, okay. And what do you think of Liam, Prim?" I ask. Prim looks up at me and glares. "He's very sweet." She says and Liam smiles. "Why are you asking?" Prim asks. "Oh, well, just because you talk about Liam a lot, I was just wondering-" I say, but Prim jumps up and puts her hand on my mouth. "And you're both hanging out a lot, so-" Peeta says, but Prim puts her other hand on his mouth. We both laugh as Liam looks at Prim with wide eyes and dark red cheeks. Prim glares at both of us and then sits down again.

Peeta and I both shake with laughter. I understood why Peeta loved pranking his brothers, it was very funny. Prim sits next to Liam and then looks down. Liam looks at us with wide eyes. Then he looks back at Prim and puts his hand on hers. She looks up and smiles at him. After a moment Prim stands up. "Let's go." She says and hold his hand. He stands up as well and they walk out. "Bye lovebirds!" I yell as Prim slams the door behind them. We both start laughing and I put my head on Peeta's shoulder.

**Prim's POV**

"_Bye lovebirds!_" I slam the door and look at Liam with red cheeks. He grins and looks down. Then he looks back up at me. "Did Katniss just say lovebirds?" He asks. I nod and roll my eyes. Liam chuckles and sways our entwined hands slowly. We walk to the park and sit down on the grass somewhere. The park was really empty today, which was weird as it was still quite warm outside. I sit down next to him. He looks at me and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. His fingers brush my cheek softly and I blush again. He chuckles and brushes my cheek with his thumb. I smile and he looks down.

"I like you Prim. I really like you. A lot." He says softly. My eyes widen and my jaw drops slightly. He looks up at me and rubs the back of his neck. I realize I'm not saying anything. I put my hand on his. "I- I like you too." I whisper. His hand drops from his neck and he smiles widely. Suddenly he leans closer to me. My heart starts beating too quick and I feel like my stomach is going to explode. He gives me a small kiss on the cheek and then pulls back. My cheek stings where his lips touched it. He smiles shyly and then looks down. My hand goes up to my cheek and feels where he kissed me. He looks up again and frowns.

"You look so shocked, are you alright?" He asks with a worried voice. I blink and nod quickly. "I'm fine." I say softly and smile. He smiles as his thumb makes patterns on the back of my hand. I then do something I'd never imagine myself doing. I lean in and give him a kiss on the cheek. His thumb freezes and his jaw drops. I lean back and giggle. After a moment he looks up and grins. "Shall we get an ice cream?" He asks.

**Katniss' POV**

"Katniss?" Peeta asks. I look up at him. "Yes?" "Would you like to stay at my house tonight?" He asks and grins. I chuckle. "What about Prim?" I ask. "Well she can stay at Rue's or something." He says and puts his head against mine. "I don't know Peeta.." I say. "Please?" He asks and pouts. I sigh. "Okay then." I say. He smiles and gives me a kiss. "Great. Anyway, how late are we going dancing?" He says.

"I think it starts at 7.30 tonight." I say. He nods slightly. Then the phone rings again. I stand up and pick up the phone. "Hello?" "Hi Katniss, how are you?" Finnick asks. I smile. "Hi Finnick. I'm fine, you?" I say. "I'm fine, just a bit bored. It's raining today. It never rains." He says. I chuckle. It _never_ rained in District 4. Only about once a year usually. "Hey Finnick!" Peeta says loudly and stands next to me. Finnick chuckles. "Say hi to your boyfriend for me." He says. I laugh and tell Peeta what he said. Peeta grins and grabs the phone. "Hey Finnick, what's up?" He asks.

They start talking. Then I remember what Peeta did to me when I was on the phone with Gale a few days ago. I stand behind Peeta and put my arms around his waist. Then I start kissing the back of his neck slowly. He stops moving. "Um- what did you say Finnick?" He asks. I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his jaw softly. He closes his eyes and turns his head a bit. "Hmm." He says. My hand runs through his hair and Peeta smiles. "Yeah." Peeta says. You could tell he wasn't listening to a word Finnick was saying. I could hear Finnick talking softly. "So what are you up to?" "Not much." Peeta says and turns around. He puts his free arm around my waist and pulls me close.

He puts his forehead against mine and smiles. I grin and give him a small kiss. Peeta chuckles. "What are you doing, Peeta?" Finnick asks. "Oh, uh, nothing, really." Peeta says. Then I lean in and lick his lips softly. He groans softly and then puts his hand on his mouth and looks at the phone with wide eyes. "Okay, Peeta, I don't wanna know what you're both doing right now, but it sounds like you're really having fun." Finnick says and laughs. Peeta's cheeks go red and I laugh as well. I put my arms around his neck and he looks up at me. "Stop distracting me, it's _not_ funny." He whispers into my ear. I chuckle.

"So, how's Annie?" Peeta asks Finnick. "She's okay." He says and starts talking again. I kiss Peeta's jaw and his shoulders drop. He stares at the wall and frowns, trying not to notice me. I grab his hands and pull him over to a chair slowly. I make him sit down and then sit on his lap with my legs around his waist. His eyes widen and I press my lips against his. After a few moments he pulls back. "Uhu. That's good." He says to Finnick and kisses me again. "So what are you gonna do today?" Finnick asks. Peeta leans back again. "Katniss is taking me dancing tonight, and then after that she's staying at my house." He says quickly and pushes his lips against mine again. I didn't even have to try and do anything anymore.

"Niiice Peeta. Use protection." Finnick says and laughs. Peeta's cheeks go red and he pulls back again. "Very funny, Finnick. How many times did Annie say she saw you naked again? 30? I hope _you_ used protection every time." Peeta says and I laugh. Finnick chuckles as Peeta puts his free arm around my waist again, pulling me closer. I kiss him and he smiles. "Well, Finnick, I gotta go. I'm kinda busy. I'll talk to you soon." He says and puts the phone down. Then he puts both arms around my waist and kisses me roughly. I pull back and chuckle. "Not very nice, having someone distract you while you're on the phone, is it?" I say. He grins mischievously. "I didn't really mind. You can distract me some more if you want." He says and squeezes my butt softly. I laugh and kiss him again.

Peeta's hands travel under my shirt, and just as he's going to take it off, the doorbell rings. He sighs. "Why. Every time. _Why._" He says and releases me. I laugh and get off of his lap. I walk to the door and open it. "Hi Katniss." Madge says and walks in. I close the door and follow her into the living room. "Hey Peeta." She says and smiles. Peeta smiles as well. "Hi Madge." He says and waves. She sits down on the sofa and grabs the remote. I chuckle and shake my head. "So what were you doing before I came here?" She asks and changes channel a few times.

I look at Peeta and grin. He chuckles and looks down. Madge then looks at us with raised eyebrows. "I suppose I should have known." She says and shakes her head. We laugh and I walk over to the sofa. Peeta stands us as well and we sit down next to Madge. "So why did you come here exactly?" Peeta asks and puts his arm around my shoulders. She shrugs. "I'm bored." She puts down the remote and turns to us. "How long have you been together?" She asks. I shrug, and Peeta makes his thinking-face. "I'd say four to five months." He then says and squeezes my hand. I frown, it seemed like such a long time, but it was also like Peeta just moved here yesterday. Madge nods slightly and then grins mischievously.

"And you haven't done _it_ yet?" She asks. My jaw drops and my cheeks burn. "Madge, you can't just ask things like that!" I say as she laughs. "I know, I just wanted to see your reactions." She says and laughs again. I look at Peeta and see he's looking down with a red face. I chuckle and give him a kiss on the cheek. He looks up and smiles. "You know, it's actually quite funny, cause Peeta's a normal teenage boy, but you Katniss, you're really innocent." Madge then says and grins.

Peeta chuckles and nods. I frown. "What do you mean?" I ask. Madge shrugs. "You're just.. really innocent." She says. I glare at her and she laughs. "I'm not _innocent_." I say. Peeta chuckles again. "You kinda are _sometimes_." He says. I glare at him as well. Then I put my hand on his crotch. Peeta freezes and Madge raises her eyebrows. Peeta's cheeks go a dark red and his hand rubs the back of his neck. I chuckle and put my hand on my lap again. "Okay, you made your point." Madge says. I grin and look at Peeta. He's still just looking at me with wide eyes.

"Madge, can you grab the cookies I made yesterday? They're in the kitchen, on one of the shelves." Peeta then says. Madge smiles and runs out. Peeta turns to me and kisses me roughly. I pull back and chuckle. "I love it when you aren't innocent." Peeta whispers into my ear. I blush and give him a small kiss. Then Madge walks back in with a mouth full of cookies and a big bag. She stands in front of us and swallows. "Shall we go to the park?" She then asks.

"Sure." I say and stand up. I put on some shoes. When we're ready, the doorbell rings again. We all walk to the front door and I open it. "Hi Louis!" I say and grin. He looks at the three of us and smiles. "Hi guys. I was thinking maybe we could hang out." He says. Peeta nods. "Yeah, we were just about to go to the park, wanna come with us?" Peeta asks. Madge steps on his foot and Peeta gasps. "I'd love to!" Louis says as we all walk out and close the door. "Thanks." Madge whispers sarcastically to Peeta. He laughs and grabs my hand. We all walk to the park together.

"So Madge. You look lovely today." Louis says and smiles. "Thanks." Madge says and looks away. Then Louis yawns and puts his arm around Madge's shoulder. She sighs and shakes it off. "Louis, listen. I don't like you." She says as we sit down on the grass. He frowns. "You don't?" He asks. She rolls her eyes. "I've told you a million times before. I _don't_ like you. I have a boyfriend. And I don't really want to hang out with you." She says. Louis nods slightly. "Okay." He then says and looks down. Madge looks at me with a dropped jaw. He finally understood. Would he stop annoying her now?

"Can I still hang out with you as friends though? Please?" He asks and looks up with sad eyes. Madge blinks and nods. He smiles slightly. "Okay. Thanks." He says. We're shocked. Madge is just looking at him with wide eyes. Suddenly I notice Prim and Louis sitting in the grass at the other side of the park. I poke Peeta and point at them. He sees them and grins. Then I notice the way they're sitting. Liam's sitting with his arm around Prim's shoulders, and her head is on his shoulder. I smile. "Louis?" I say.

He looks at me. "I think Liam and Prim are officially dating." I say and point to them. He looks at them and chuckles. "About time. Liam doesn't stop talking about her." He says and rolls his eyes. I laugh. "How about we go over to them for a small chat?" I say and look at everyone. They all grin and nod. We stand up and walk over to them silently. "Hey guys!" I then yell when we're right behind them. They both jump and turn around. They see us and sigh. "Hi." They say as Liam's arm slips off of Prim's arm slowly. "What are you doing?" Peeta asks.

They both blush and shrug. "Just talking a bit." Prim says and smiles. Louis nods slightly. "You know Prim, Liam was telling me all about you. He said your eyes are beautiful, and he's right, they're very bright, I hadn't noticed till now." Louis then says and grins. Liam glares at him and then looks down. Prim's cheeks turn even darker and she smiles at Liam. He smiles back. "Thanks." Prim then says to Louis. He grins. "You can go now." Liam then says and gestures for us to go away. We all laugh. "Oh, okay, we understand. You want to be alone with Prim. _We understand_." Peeta then says and winks at Liam. He blushes again and starts rubbing his neck. We all laugh again and start walking away. "Bye guys, have fun!" Madge yells before we walk around the corner. We all start laughing.

"Who knew Liam's cheeks could turn so red." Louis says and laughs. We all walk to town and buy some fries. We sit down on a bench and Peeta puts his arm around my waist. Everyone finishes their fries and we just sit down and talk for a while. Then we go back to Madge's house. "Shall we just watch some tv?" She asks. We all nod and follow her into a big room. There's three sofa's, some comfy chairs, and a gigantic plasma-TV. My jaw drops. "_Why_ do you even come to my house to watch tv?" I ask and she laughs. We sit down and she gives us all some popcorn. We watch a funny movie, and after a while I realize it's already 5 o'clock. "Peeta, we better get home." I say. He nods and we all stand up.

Madge walks us to the door. "Have fun dancing!" She says and grins. "Thanks." Peeta says and smiles. "I better go as well. Bye Madge." Louis says and walks out. Madge stares at him and blinks again. "Uh, okay, bye Louis. Bye Peeta, Katniss." She says and closes the door. We walk to Louis' car and say goodbye to him. He smiles and rides away. Then Peeta grabs my hand and we walk to our houses.

**Prim's POV**

The sun starts going down. It was only 6 o'clock or something, but it was getting darker much earlier nowadays. I stand up and stretch my back. "I have to get home for dinner." I say. Liam stands up as well and grabs my hand. We walk back to my house slowly, watching the sun go down. After a while we're at my house and we stop on my porch. I turn around and smile. "I had a great time." I say softly. He smiles as well. "Me too." He says. He puts his hands on my waist and I blush. He leans in slowly and kisses me on the lips. After a second he leans back and smiles shyly. He brushes my cheek with his thumb. "I'll call you tomorrow." He then says and turns around. He walks away and around the corner. I just stand there, nailed to the ground. He kissed me. On the lips.

My hand goes up to my lips. It was unbelievably weird to know that his lips were there a minute ago. But it was nice as well. Very nice. I turn around slowly and see Katniss and Peeta looking at me through the window with big smiles and raised eyebrows. I walk inside and they run out to the hallway. "Hey Prim." Katniss says and smiles. "Hi." I say softly. I could feel that my cheeks were still red. They're both silent for a while and just grin at me.

I walk past them and go into the kitchen. They follow me and stand in the doorway with big grins. "What?" I ask and look at them. "Nothing." Peeta says. I make some soup and sit down in the living room. They grab some soup as well and sit down next to me. I'm not hungry at all though. My belly feels weird. There's a warm, fuzzy feeling. Katniss and Peeta both have their soup and then grin at me again. "What's wrong Prim? Not hungry?" Katniss asks.

I push the bowl a bit and put my hands on my belly. "Not really." I murmur. They both look at each other and wink. I roll my eyes and stand up. "Oh, Prim?" Katniss says before I leave the room. "Yes?" "I'm staying at Peeta's tonight." She says. I nod. "Okay, have fun." I say and smile. Then I go upstairs and close my door. I could go to Rue's and ask if she wants to stay tonight. But I don't feel like doing anything. So I fall onto my bed and sigh. I couldn't get Liam out of my head. _He kissed me_. I then laugh, wondering if Katniss was jealous that I got my first kiss at 13, three years before she got hers. I get up and put on my pajamas. I brush my hair and then sit down and play with Buttercup. "Do I love him?" I ask Buttercup.

She looks up at me and blinks. I laugh and stroke her belly. She sits on my lap and I lay down my head. Did I love him? What was love, anyway? How did you know if you loved someone? This was so weird. I liked him, that was for sure. I _really_ liked him. I sigh and cuddle Buttercup. I then close my eyes and fall asleep.

**Katniss' POV**

I walk up to my room and Peeta follows me. I grab my bag. "What do I need if I'm staying at your house later?" I ask. He shrugs. I grab my pajamas and he walks over to me. He shakes his head and puts my pajamas down again. "You won't need those." He says and grins mischievously. I laugh and roll my eyes. He puts down my bag and puts his arms around my waist. He leans in to kiss me, and after a moment I lean back. "Peeta, we have to leave in an hour. Let me get dressed." I say. He releases me and sits on my bed. I grab the dress and look at Peeta. "Close your eyes or turn around or something." I say. He grins and puts his hands in front of his eyes. "No peeking." I say and smile.

I take off my pants and my top, checking to see if Peeta's looking every two seconds. But he keeps his eyes closed. I put on the dress. "You can open them again now." I say and take my hair out of its braid. He opens his eyes and smiles. "You look amazing." He says and gives me a kiss. I smile and then freeze. I didn't have any shoes. "Shit." I say and put my hand on my forehead. "What's wrong?" He asks. I point down to my feet. Then I walk out and knock on my mother's bedroom. Maybe she'd have some.

"Come in." She says. I open the door and sigh. The last time I had been in here was years ago. She's on her bed, reading a book. I walk in and close the door behind me. She looks at my dress and gasps. "You look lovely. What's the occasion?" She asks and smiles. "Thank you. I'm going dancing with Peeta. But I don't have any shoes." I say and look down. She looks down and nods slightly. "I see. I think I might have some red high heels for you." She says and stands up. She opens a drawer with a few shoes in. Then she pulls out some red high heels and hands them to me. "Thanks." I say and put them on. Luckily I had the same size as my mother. She smiles. "Have fun." She says as I walk back out. "I will." I say and close the door.

I walk back into my bedroom and twirl once. Peeta smiles and claps. Then I grab his hand and we walk to his house. We walk upstairs and into his bedroom. I sit on the bed as he grabs the same shirt he did when we went to the restaurant in District 4. He looks at me and grins. "Close your eyes." He says and starts taking off his shirt. His body was amazing, and it shocked me every time I saw it. He notices I'm still looking and blushes. "Not fair!" He says and turns around. I chuckle and put my hands over my eyes. Two minutes later he tells me he's ready. He's wearing a white, buttoned shirt with black pants. The sleeves are rolled up and he looks handsome. "Well, don't you look handsome." I say and smile. He grins and straightens his collar.

I walk over to him and give him a small kiss. He grabs my hand and twirls me around once. Then we walk downstairs. Rye looks up at us with raised eyebrows. "Why are you both looking so fancy? Are you gonna get married or something?" Rye asks and grins. I blush and Peeta chuckles. "We're going dancing, remember?" He says. Rye nods slightly. "Oh yeah. Okay. Good luck, Peeta." Rye says and winks at me. I stick out my tongue and Peeta puts his arm around my waist. He laughs and we turn around. We walk outside and Peeta holds open the car-door for me. I sit down and he closes it. Two seconds later he's in the seat next to me.

He starts the car and we ride to the town hall. After a few minutes we're there. He parks the car and we step out. He grabs my hand and we walk in. After a few minutes of walking around, we find the right room and walk inside. There's loud music playing and there are already some couples dancing around. There are also just friends and other people dancing. After a while a girl and boy walk into the middle of the room. The girl claps her hands and the music goes off. "Everyone gather around!" The boy says. Everyone walks closer to them and stands in a circle. They're both skinny and look rather young to be teachers. I'd say they're only 18 years old or something.

"I'm Sophia, and this is Justin." The girl says. "We're dancers from District 1. We've been dancing our whole lives, and now we're here to teach you how to. We're gonna start with some basics. Find a partner and do what we do." She says. I grab Peeta's hand and he smiles. Sophia grabs Justin's hand and he puts one hand on her waist. Peeta does the same. They start moving their feet swiftly. They turn a few times, and then Justin twirls Sophia once. They both stop and put their hands in the air. We all clap. "Your turn." Justin then says.

Everyone starts dancing. Peeta moves his feet just like Justin did, but I keep stumbling and stepping on Peeta's feet. "I'm sorry." I mumble as Peeta chuckles and twirls me around. When we're done, Sophia walks over to us. "What's your names?" She asks. "I'm Katniss, and this is Peeta." I say. She nods and smiles at Peeta. "Peeta, you're a brilliant dancer." She says. He grins. "Thank you." He says. Then Sophia turns to me. "Katniss, you're terrible. Really terrible." She says. I look down. "Peeta, if you ever want to dance properly some time, just ask me." She says and brushes Peeta's arm softly. Before any of us can say anything she turns around and walks back to Justin.

This was going to be _loads_ of fun.

**Author's Note: Hellooo, this was chapter 32. Can I just mention the face that we have 463 reviews? Woohoo! The next chapter will probably be up by tomorrow, if my laptop doesn't die in the meantime. Have a nice weekend!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Author's Note: Hellooo, is everyone having a nice weekend? The weather here is crap, it's raining and windy and it's cold. I know none of you care but yeah. Anywaaay, here's chapter 33, enjoy! :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 33_

**Katniss' POV**

I feel my face getting hotter and my hands are turning into fists. I see Peeta stare at Sophia with wide eyes. Then he turns to me. He suddenly looks worried. "Katniss. Relax." He says. I realize I'm breathing heavily. My face feels warm and my nails are digging into my palms. Peeta grabs my hands and slowly relaxes my fingers. I sigh and he smiles. "That's better. Don't listen to her, you're a brilliant dancer." He says and brushes my cheek. I chuckle. "Thanks, even if it's not true. She better stop flirting with you though." I murmur. He rolls his eyes. "She wasn't flirting with me." He says. I snort. "Yes she was." I say and glare at her.

She claps her hands again and Justin puts his arm around her waist. Were they..? "Alright, most people were able to do that without problems. Some people," Sophia looks at me "will need some more practice." She smirks and I glare at her. "Now we're going to do the salsa. Everyone team up again and watch us." Justin says and grabs Sophia's hand. They stand very close to each other and starts moving their feet. I gasp. I'd _never_ be able to do that. After a while they twirl around a bit, and Sophia twirls into Justin's arms. He leans her back, holding her up and then picks her up for a second. He puts her down again and they both put their hands up.

Everyone claps and Peeta grins at me. "Peeta, I don't know about this.." I say as he grabs my hand. "Just follow me." He says and puts his hand on my lower back. He pulls me against him and shakes his hair out of his eyes once. Then he starts moving his feet slowly. I move mine as well and we keep going quicker. After a while we're nearly just as good as Justin and Sophia. Peeta twirls me into his arms and gives me a small kiss. I chuckle and twirl away again. He leans me back and then back up again. He holds me close and we both stop moving. Our chest are heaving and we're breathing heavily. He grins and gives me a small kiss.

After a few moments Sophia claps again. "Okay, I saw some pretty good movers. I'd like the best one to dance with me and show everyone how easy it is." Sophia says and looks around. Then she looks at Peeta. "Peeta, could you come over here please?" She asks and smirks at me. I squeeze Peeta's hand and he looks at me. I sigh and let go. He winks at me and then walks over to Sophia. He stands next to her and smiles at me. "Peeta here," Sophia says and puts her hand on his chest, "is an amazing dancer. This is his first lesson and he's as good as Justin and I. I'd like you all to watch this." She says and then turns around. She grabs Peeta's hand and puts his other hand on her back. She steps closer to him and he swallows once.

The music goes on again and they start moving. I have to admit, Sophia was quite a good dancer. Peeta twirls Sophia around once and then leans her back. He leans her up again and she twirls into his arms. The music stops and everyone claps, and Sophia stays in his arms. Peeta tries to release her gently, but she holds his arms there. After a moment she smirks at me and then finally lets go. Peeta starts to walk back to me but she grabs his wrist and pulls him back. "Peeta, you were amazing." She says and puts her hands on his shoulders. "Um, thanks." He says and smiles slightly. She wants to say something else, but Peeta grabs her hands and puts them down gently. Then he walks back to me and pulls me into his arms.

"That wasn't half as fun as when I danced with you." He whispers and gives me a kiss. I smile and give him a kiss. I notice Sophia's staring at us with a slight grin on her face. I didn't like her. I didn't like her _at all_. Then Justin walks over to us. "Hi, what's your name?" He asks me. "Katniss." I say and smile. "Hi Katniss. You're both amazing dancers." He says and smiles at both of us. "Thanks." Peeta says and puts his arm around my waist. "Peeta, I was wondering, have you ever gone to dancing lessons before?" Justin asks. Peeta shakes his head.

Justin nods slightly. "That's amazing. You've really got talent." He says. "Thank you." Peeta says and grins. Then Justin walks back to Sophia and puts his arms around her waist. He smiles and gives her a small kiss on the cheek, but Sophia just stares at us the whole time. I suddenly feel sorry for Justin. He probably didn't know Sophia was flirting with Peeta all the time. I sigh and Justin lets her go again. He tells us all to find our partner again.

Then we do some slow dances. Peeta puts one hand on my waist and the other in my hand. The music starts and he does basic steps. One step forward, to the side, backwards and the other side. He twirls me around slowly and puts his hand on my waist again. When the music stops, I smile and squeeze Peeta's hand. "Alright. This was an amazing first lesson, guys. You're all talented, and I hope that you all had fun and that we'll see you next week!" Justin says and puts up a hand. We say goodbye and walk outside. The time had gone very quick. Peeta opens the car door for me, but just as I'm about to step in, I hear somebody yelling Peeta's name behind us. We both turn around and see Sophia walk over to us.

"Hey Peeta." She says and smiles. He puts up his hand and rubs his neck a bit. "I was just wondering if you'd like to hang out." She then says and twirls her hair around her finger. Peeta looks at me and I step forward. "Listen Sophia. I'm dating Peeta. He's _my_ boyfriend, so back off." I say and glare at her. She crosses her arms and turns her head a bit. "Oh? And what makes you think he likes you? You're mean and a terrible dancer. I'm a brilliant dancer. So what do you say, Peeta?" She says and grins at him. I step forwards again so I'm right in front of her.

"What did you just say?" I whisper. "Katniss-" Peeta puts his hands on my shoulder and tries to pull me away, but I shake him off. "You're mean, and a terrible dancer." Sophia says calmly and glares at her. Before I can stop myself, my hand shoots up and slaps her face. She gasps and puts her hands on her cheek. "Katniss!" Peeta yells and puts his hand on his head. Sophia swallows and opens her mouth slightly. Suddenly I feel her hand against my left cheek. I gasp and she grins smugly. Peeta stands in between us. "Stop it!" He says. Then he grabs my waist and pulls me into the car. He closes the door and I glare at Sophia. She puts up her middle finger and then turns around.

Peeta steps into the car and looks at me. "Katniss. Why did you hit her?" He asks seriously. I look down. "She was flirting with you." I murmur. He sighs. "You can't just go hitting people because they flirt with me." He says angrily. "You could get hurt. You saw what she did to you. Next time somebody could hit you back even harder!" He says and puts up his hands. I swallow and look down again. He sighs and puts his fingers under my chin. He pushes my head up softly and examines my cheek. "Are you okay?" He whispers. I nod. He gives me a kiss and then starts the car. On the ride home we're both silent. When we get home he parks the car and we walk inside.

I sit down on a chair in the kitchen and he grabs some ice. He wraps a towel around it and then holds it against my cheek. I gasp and he puts his hand on my other cheek. I hold up the towel and he sighs. "She hit you pretty hard." He says. I shrug slightly. Then he looks up at me with a small grin. "You hit her harder though." He says. I chuckle. "Seriously though. It was just like, bam! And she just stared at you with wide eyes and you just grinned." He says and grins. I chuckle and he puts his arms around me. I rest my head on his chest and sigh.

"I'm sorry." I murmur. He kisses the top of my head. "No need. She was being mean about you too. If you hadn't slapped her, I probably would have." He says and chuckles. I look up and give him a kiss. Then I put the towel away and look in the mirror. My cheek was very red, but it looked okay. I walk out to the living room with Peeta and sit down. 'Where is everyone?" I ask and look around. "Leo is in District 10 with Isabel, Rye's at one of his friends' houses, and my mom and dad are visiting some old friends or something." He says. Then he looks at me and grins mischievously.

"That means we're alone." He says and sits closer to me. His arms wrap around my waist and he pushes me back on to the sofa slowly. He lies on top of me and holds his face an inch from mine. "Which means we can do _whatever_ we want." He whispers and grins. I kiss him and put my arms around his neck. He puts his hands on my waist and swiftly rolls us over so I'm on top. His hands go up my back and start fiddling with the zip. Just as he's going to pull it down, the phone goes. I laugh and he sighs. "I'm going to throw away that phone." He murmurs as he stands up and picks it up.

"Hello?" He says. "Oh, hi Madge." He says and smiles. I stand up and stand behind him with my arms around his waist. His free hand rests on my hands. "Uhu. Yeah. It was great fun. Katniss slapped one of our teachers." He says and laughs. I can hear Madge yelling down the phone. "No way! Put me on speaker!" Peeta pushes a button. "Okay, you're on speaker now." He says. "Katniss?" Madge says. "Hi Madge." I say. "Why did you beat up your teacher?" She asks.

I laugh. "I didn't beat her up. I just slapped her face once." I say. Peeta chuckles and puts an arm around my waist. "What- why?" Madge says. "Well she was flirting with Peeta.." I murmur. Madge laughs and sighs. "You can be _so_ jealous sometimes. I can't believe you hit her." She says. "Well she hit me back." I say. Madge gasps. "Well sounded like you had fun then." She murmurs. We chuckle and Peeta sits down and pulls me on to his lap. His arms wrap around my waist and I nearly forget about Madge.

"Madge?" I ask. "Yes?" "We're kinda busy. We'll call you back tomorrow." I say, using the same excuse Peeta used on Finnick. He laughs and gives me a high five. "Oh, okay. I know what you're doing. Have fun and don't get knocked up." She says and hangs up. I roll my eyes and put down the phone. Then Peeta turns me around and kisses me. I put my hands in his hair and he smiles into our kiss. Then my belly start rumbling again. I lean back and Peeta chuckles. "I think it's time for dinner." He says and pokes my belly. I smile and we stand up. We walk into the kitchen and Peeta makes us a pizza. When it's ready we sit on the sofa and watch some tv while we eat our pizza.

When we're finished Peeta turns the lights off and closes the curtains. Then he puts his arms around me and pulls me close. I snuggle into his chest and he rests his chin on top of my head. We watch a movie. Well, mostly we just talk, the movie's on in the background. "So Leo and Isabel are really serious if he keeps visiting her, aren't they?" I ask. Peeta nods. "Leo thinks she might be the one." He says and shrugs. "The one?" I ask. He looks down at me and smiles slightly. "Yeah. The one. You know, he thinks she might be the one he wants to grow old with. His true love." He says softly and then looks down.

I swallow and put my head on Peeta's chest again. "Am I.. the one for you?" I ask softly, without looking up. He's silent for a moment. Then I look up and see him looking at me with a smile and red cheeks. "Yep." He says and smiles shyly. I brush his cheek and give him a kiss. When I put my head on his chest again, I know he's going to ask me. And I'm right. "Katniss.. who's the one for you?" He asks softly. Was he the one? Did I have a person I wanted to grow old with?

I look down and frown. I try and imagine a life without Peeta. A life where I'm older. I'm about thirty, finished high school and got a job in town. I have my own little house somewhere. But no Peeta. And the thought breaks my heart. I wanted to grow old with Peeta. I couldn't imagine breaking up with him one day and not having him around me every day. Peeta swallows and I realize I haven't answered him yet. I look up and see he's looking down with a slight frown and sad eyes. I put my hand on his cheek and he looks up at me. "You are. You're the one, Peeta." I whisper. His lips turn into a big smile and he pulls me closer. He kisses me passionately and I chuckle. After a while he pulls back and brushes my cheek.

"You don't know how glad I am to hear that. Really." He says and grins. I smile and we watch some more tv. After a while I yawn and he smiles. "Let's go to bed. You must be tired." He says. We stand up and walk to his bedroom. When he closes the door, I'm suddenly not tired at all anymore. I sit on his bed and Peeta starts taking off his shirt. I bite my lip and watch him. He turns around and raises his eyebrows. I grin and he walks over to me. He gives me a small kiss, but when he tries to lean back, I pull him closer. I lean back on to the bed and pull him with me. I put my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. His breathing becomes quicker as his hands tangle in my hair.

He rolls us over quickly and I gasp. He looks up at me with a mischievous grin and red cheeks. Then his hands start tugging at my shirt softly. I pull it off and throw it into the corner. He hitches my legs up a little bit and his hands rub my thighs. Then his hands start pulling down my shorts gently. He pulls them down my legs and throws them onto the floor as well.

Then I suddenly have that hunger again. The same hunger I had a few days ago. A hunger for Peeta. I pull down his pants roughly and he chuckles. I throw them onto the pile of clothes and tangle my hands into his hair. His hands go up my back and tug at my bra straps. They both fall down my arms and he starts unclasping the back. After a few moments I hear the click and he throws my bra onto the ground. He stares at my chest for a moment and then kisses me again.

After a few moments his hands go down my waist and start pulling my panties down slowly. He kisses my jaw and I take off my underwear for him. I throw them onto the ground and then tug at his underwear. He chuckles and takes them off. Then we're both naked, on top of each other. The thought makes me blush and I feel Peeta's heartbeat speeding up. His hands slide in between my legs and I gasp softly. He starts rubbing me and I moan. I put my hand on my mouth and Peeta chuckles. I also notice his eyes are darker than I've ever seen them.

My hands trace his chest and slide down further and further. Suddenly I'm _touching_ him. He swallows and I rub him gently. "Katniss.." He moans and kisses me roughly. I rub him harder and harder, and he keeps moaning. I love the way he looks at me when I do this to him. Suddenly he leans back and looks at me with wide eyes and a big smile. He puts his forehead against mine. "Do you.. want to.. go further?" He asks carefully. I think for a moment. My whole body is screaming _yes_. So I nod quickly and push my lips against his again. He smiles and lifts me off of him gently. Then he runs over to his closet, snatches the little blue box and walks back over to me.

He opens the box and grabs a little plastic square. His fingers fumble with the plastic for a moment, until he's opened it. He puts the condom on and sits down next to me. He pulls me into his arms and kisses me like there's no tomorrow. My arms wrap around his neck and he lies us down gently. "I love you Katniss." He whispers in between kisses. After a few moments he looks up at me. "Are you sure about this?" He asks. I grin and nod. He smiles and I open my legs a bit. He breaths out once and then positions himself above me, kissing me the entire time.

Suddenly I feel something stinging. He pushes into me slowly and I gasp. It felt like I was on fire. He kisses my jaw softly and tucks some hair behind my ear. "Are you okay?" He whispers and looks into my eyes. I bite my lip and nod. He kisses me again and I sigh. After a few moments the stinging stops. Peeta pulls back slowly and then pushes in deeper. He does this a few times, and my hands tangle in his hair. We were both breathing unbelievably quick and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. After a few hot minutes, Peeta thrusts into me and I moan. The feeling he was giving me was unbelievable. He grins and thrusts again. This time I moan even louder, and I'm not even embarrassed about it. He thrusts into me a couple more times, and after a few moments, he hits a certain spot and I nearly scream. I felt amazing. I groan loudly and my hands tangle in his hair, trying to pull him as close as I can. He groans a few times as well.

"Peeta.." I moan loudly. The great feeling didn't stop for what seemed like ages. After a few moments he stops thrusting and lies on top of me. He turns us around so I'm on top and kisses me passionately. "I love you Katniss. I really love you." He says. After a while the amazing feeling fades away and I lean back. "I love you Peeta. That was amazing." I whisper. He grins and puts his forehead against mine. We just lie there for a while until our breathing becomes normal again. Then I look up at him and smile. He brushes my cheek softly and gives me a short kiss.

We climb up to the pillow part and Peeta puts his arms around me. I snuggle into his chest and lay my head down. I was now exhausted. What happened a few minutes ago- it was unreal. Peeta pulls the quilts over us and kisses the top of my head. I sigh and smile. I felt amazing. Peeta looks down at me and kisses me one last time. "That was.." He says and grins mischievously. I chuckle and nod. I look down again and close my eyes. He kisses the top of my head again and then turns off the lights.

**Author's Note: 1. I'm sorry the chapter is so short. 2. I'm sorry the sex-scene is so terrible. I'm actually ashamed for writing it. It's just _sooo_ bad. But this is as good as it gets. If you wanted quality porn or something, you shouldn't have started to read this story. I'm no E. L. James, hehe. _(E. L. James is the author of fifty shades of grey). _Anyways, next chapter will probably be up by tomorrow! :)**


	34. Chapter 34

**Author's Note: Hi everyone, the story reached 500 reviews! Woohoo! You guys just made my day! :) Anyway, thank you, and here's chapter 34, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 34_

**Katniss' POV**

When I wake up I can still feel Peeta's arms around me. I immediately think of what happened last night. It all felt so unreal. I open my eyes and see Peeta's already awake. He's just staring at the ceiling with a faint smile on his face. "Good morning." I say with a hoarse voice. He looks at me and smiles. He gives me a small kiss. "Good morning." He says and brushes my cheek with his fingers. He starts blushing and I chuckle. I sit up and stretch my back. Peeta sits up as well and puts his arms around my waist. Then he starts kissing my neck and jaw.

"Peeta, it's 10 o'clock in the morning." I say and chuckle. "Uhu." He murmurs and puts my hair over my left shoulder so he can kiss my right. Then he works up to my face and gives me a long kiss on the lips. I lean back and he smiles. Then we both get up and put our clothes on. I braid my hair and we walk downstairs. I notice Rye's back already, as is Mr. Mellark. We grab some breakfast and sit down at the table. Rye looks up and smiles. "Morning." He says. "Good morning." We both say at the same time.

"Did you have fun last night?" Rye asks. We both start blushing and nod quickly. "Yeah. How about you?" Peeta asks. Rye raises his eyebrows for a moment and then nods. "Yeah, we had fun. Stayed up all night watching stupid movies and eating too much." He says and grins. We chuckle and finish our breakfast. Then Rye gets up and goes upstairs. Peeta drags me over to the sofa and pulls me onto his lap. He puts his arms around my waist and his chin on my left shoulder. We put on the tv and Peeta changes channel a few times. Then the doorbell rings and we both get up. Peeta opens the door and Madge just walks in. "Hey guys." She says and walks past us, into the living room. We chuckle as Peeta closes the door. We walk after her and sit down.

"So Katniss, tell me, how hard did you hit that girl yesterday?" Madge asks as she turns to me. I shrug. Peeta grins. "Really hard. You could see where Katniss had hit her, it was all red." He says and squeezes my hand. Madge laughs and shakes her head. "Unbelievable." She says and Peeta chuckles. I roll my eyes and smile. We then decide to walk outside. So we all get up and go outside. Peeta grabs my hand and Madge walks next to me.

"So what did you two do last night?" She asks. "Well when we came back from our dancing lessons, we had dinner, watched some tv, and then just.. went to bed." I say and grin at Peeta. "Oh yeah? I hope you used protection." Madge says and grins. Usually I'd say 'shut up' and slap her arm, but this time I can't. I look down and start blushing. Peeta's cheeks start changing color as well, and he chuckles when he notices I'm not saying anything. After a few moments Madge looks up at us again. Her eyes are wide and her mouth is slightly open.

"You two- you- oh my god." She says and looks down again. We both start laughing and Peeta squeezes my hand softly. Madge shakes her head. "Okay, different subject. How's Prim?" She asks with a disgusted, but also amused grin on her face.

**Prim's POV**

I grab some breakfast and sit down on the sofa. A few moments later someone's knocking on the door. I stand up and find Rue. "Hey, I picked you up yesterday but you weren't home, where were you?" She asks as I close the door again. We walk into the living room and sit down. "I was with Liam." I say and grin. She raises her eyebrows and I blush. "So what did you do?" She asks. I shrug. "Well, um, first we watched some tv, and Katniss and Peeta asked embarrassing questions. Then we went to the park and sat down. He started blushing and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. Then he said 'I like you Prim. I really like you. A lot.'" I say and look down.

Rue jumps off of the sofa and stands in front of me. "No way! What did you say?" She yells. "I said I liked him too." I whisper. Rue starts smiling widely and grabs my hands. "No way!" She says. I nod. "And then he leaned in and kissed my cheek. I was shocked. And a few moments later I gave him a kiss on the cheek as well." I say and smile. Rue starts jumping. "Oh my god, that's so cute!" She says. I chuckle. Then she clears her throat and sits down again. "Okay, then what?" She asks.

I tell her that then we just went to get some ice cream and sat down in the park again. Most of the time we just talked, his arm around my shoulders and my head on his shoulder. ".. And then I had to go home. So he walked me home, and we stopped on my porch. I said I had a great time, and he said he did as well. Then he put his hands on my waist and gave me a kiss on the lips." I say softly. Rue jumps up again and puts her hands in her hair. "What? He- you- He kissed you!" She yells. I chuckle and nod. She just stares at me with wide eyes. "What was it like?" She asks and sits down again. I shrug. "It was nice. Very nice." I say and blush. She laughs and shakes her head.

"Is Liam going to call you today?" Rue asks. As if planned, the phone rings. Before I can stand up, Rue jumps off the sofa and runs to the phone. She picks it up and smirks at me. Then she puts it on speaker and starts talking. "Hello, Liam?" She says. "Um, hi Rue.." He says. "How are you?" Rue asks. "Fine, you?" He says. "I'm fine. Prim was just telling me about yester-" I run over to her and grab the phone. I put it off speaker and run over to the other side of the room. Rue starts laughing and I roll my eyes. "Hi Liam." I say.

He chuckles and I smile. "Hi Prim. What was Rue just saying?" He asks. "Um, nothing." I say. "Okay. Shall we hang out today?" He asks. "I'd love to." I say and smile. "Okay, great! I'll be at your house in half an hour then." He says and hangs up. I sigh and put the phone down. Then I walk over to Rue and slap her arm softly. "That wasn't funny!" I say. She grins and nods. "Yeah it was. So when is he coming over?" She asks. "In half an hour." I say and straighten my skirt. She nods slightly and sits down again. We watch some tv for half an hour. Then the doorbell rings.

I run over to the door and clear my throat. Then I open it and find a smiling Liam. "Hi." He says. "Hey." I say and smile. He leans in and gives me a small kiss on the cheek. I immediately start blushing and he grins. We walk inside and he says hi to Rue. "Oh, hey Liam." She says and smirks at me. "So Prim told me you had fun yesterday." She then says. I glare at her and then look down with hot cheeks. Liam chuckles. "We had a great time." He says and slides his fingers into mine. I look up and smile at him. He brushes my cheek with his other hand and smiles. Rue clears her throat and I blink. Liam looks down and blushes.

"Okay, so um, how about we go outside or something?" She asks. We nod and walk outside.

**Katniss' POV**

We go to the park and find Louis talking to someone. We walk over to him and he smiles. "Hey guys." He says. We say hey, and the person he was talking to walks away. We sit down on a bench and Louis asks us how our dancing went. Madge tells him the story and he gapes at me. "You seriously hit your teacher?" He asks. I nod and roll my eyes. It wasn't such a big deal, was it? He chuckles and shakes his head. Then we talk for another while, until I see Prim, Liam and Rue walking across the street. "Oh by the way Louis, Prim and Liam kissed yesterday." I say. He looks at me and nods. "Oh I know." He says and rolls his eyes. We laugh and talk for another while. Then Madge and Louis both say they have to go home. "My father has to go to some 'party' and I'm going with him." Madge says and shrugs. Louis says he has to get home to babysit his little sister, Libby. So we say goodbye to them and then walk to my house.

We get in and walk to the kitchen. I find my mother making a sandwich for herself. She looks up at us and smiles. "Hi. Have a good time yesterday?" She asks. I nod and smile slightly. She grabs her sandwich and sits down. We both grab a sandwich as well and go to the living room. When we're nearly done, my mother walks in. "Katniss, I'm going to town with someone. Behave yourself." She says and walks out. She closes the door and we start laughing. If only she knew how bad we were at 'behaving'. We finish our sandwiches and I bring out the plates. Then I walk back in to the living room.

Peeta walks over to me and stands in front of me. He puts his arms around my waist and starts giving me small, quick kisses on my collarbones. He then works up to my mouth and kisses me. I wrap my arms around his neck and he smiles. A few moments later the telephone goes and I lean back to pick it up. "Hello?" I ask as Peeta stands behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. "Hi Katniss!" Annie squeals. "Hi Annie." I say and smile. We talk for a while, and Annie says she can't wait till the next holiday. I agree, I couldn't wait to see them all again. After a while she says goodbye and hangs up. I put the phone down and turn around. I give Peeta a quick kiss and then walk over to the sofa. He sits next to me and I turn on the tv.

"Do you think Annie and Finnick are going to get married?" I then ask. Peeta pulls me on to his lap and thinks for a moment. "Yeah. They both love each other, and I'm sure Annie's been dreaming of a wedding since she's a little girl." He says and grins. I smile and lay my head on his chest. I could imagine their wedding. On the beach, the sun's shining and the sea is looking as blue as ever. Finnick's wearing a suit, and Gale's standing next to him. Then Annie walks over to him in a gigantic, fluffy, white dress. They both say I do and kiss each other. Everyone claps and they go on their honeymoon. Ten years later they'd have their own house at the beach, and two beautiful little children running around. I could really imagine that happening.

Suddenly Peeta's arms tense. I look up at him and see him looking with a frown. "What's wrong?" I ask. He looks down at me and sighs. "My dad said he was going to town with _someone_ today. And so did your mother..." He says. Ugh. Great. "What if they're going on a date?" I ask. Peeta shrugs and looks disgusted. I put my head on his chest again. My mother wouldn't go on a date with him, surely. Then again..

"Wanna go to town?" I ask. He chuckles and nods. We get up and walk to town. Then we walk around some shops, until we see our parents sitting down together in a coffee shop. Peeta looks at me and I nod. We walk in and sit down in some chairs, a few tables away from them. We hold the menu's up in front of our faces. "I can't believe them." I murmur. Peeta nods and frowns. A waiter walks over to us. "Hi, what would you like?" He asks. "Two cups of hot chocolate please." Peeta says. The waiter walks away and we lower our menu's a bit. I noticed my mother was wearing a skirt again. They were both sitting opposite each other, drinking some coffee and eating muffins. If we listened carefully, we could hear them talking.

"Yeah, I think so too. They're very intimate. A bit _too_ intimate if you ask me." My mother says. My eyes widen. Were they talking about us? "Suzanne, they're teenagers. We were just as intimate when we were their age." Mr. Mellark says. Peeta and I both look disgusted, the thought of our parents 'being intimate' was horrible. My mother nods slightly and takes a sip of her coffee. "Anyway, how's your wife doing?" My mother asks. Mr. Mellark shrugs. "She's okay. I'm thinking about divorcing her soon, though." He says softly. My mother puts down her coffee and puts a hand on his shoulder.

"I- I'm sorry.." She says softly. He shakes his head. "I've known for years that it would happen some day. I think it's time now." He says. My mother nods slightly and picks up her coffee again. I look up at Peeta and see him looking with a slight frown. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Peeta whispers and looks at me. I nod and look down. This increased the chance of our parents getting together. The waiter brings us our hot chocolate and I take a sip. Our parents hadn't even noticed we were sitting here yet.

They talk for another while, and then my mother stands up. "I better get home.." She says and picks up her bag. Mr. Mellark stands up as well. "I'll walk with you." He says and smiles. He pays the waiter and then puts his hand on her lower back when they walk out. They close the door and we both throw the menu's down. "They can't start dating! They can't!" I say. Peeta frowns and puts his arm around my shoulders. "Don't they understand how weird that would be?" I say softly and put my head on his shoulder. He kisses the top of my head once and then finishes his hot chocolate. I finish mine as well and we stand up. Peeta gives some money to one of the waiters and we walk out.

He grabs my hand and we walk home slowly. "You're really silent, are you okay?" I ask. Peeta looks up and smiles slightly. "I'm fine. Just thinking." He says. I nod and look down. Then he looks up at me again. "We're going to have to tell them that we think this is a bit weird." He then says. I nod slowly. We get home and walk into my living room. My mother is sitting on the sofa with a book. "Hi. Have fun in town?" I ask and sit down at the table. Peeta sits down next to me and squeezes my hand. She looks up at us and nods quickly. "What did you do?" I ask. She shrugs. "Just got some coffee." She says.

I nod slightly. Then I look up and narrow my eyes. "With who?" I ask. "What?" "_With. Who._"I say slowly, and I notice there's anger in my voice. She narrows her eyes as well. "With Jonathan." She then says and looks down again. I run my hand through my hair and sigh. "Was it a date?" I ask. "What? We're just friends, he-" "Mom, you're not 'just friends'. Everyone knows it. So tell me, was it a date or not?" I say loudly.

"I suppose you could call it a date.." My mother says after a few moments. I swallow and Peeta frowns. She looks up at us. "Why are you so interested anyway?" She asks. "Have you thought about how weird it is for Peeta and I? Our parents are dating! If- if you get married, I'll be dating my step brother!" I yell. My mother looks down and shakes her head slightly. "We're not going to get married Katniss-"

"But how am I supposed to believe you? You also said you were only friends. You said you didn't like him. So how am I supposed to believe you if you say you're not going to get married in a couple of years?" I say loudly. She looks up at me with pained eyes. I sigh and turn around. I walk upstairs and Peeta follows me. I fall onto my bed and Peeta closes the door. Then he sits next to me and I turn my head so I can look at him. "Out of the thousands of people to choose from, our parents choose each other." I murmur. He chuckles and I sit up. I sit down next to him and he wraps his arms around me.

I look up at him and smile. He leans in for a kiss and I wrap my arms around his neck. He puts his hands on my waist and pushes me down gently. He lies on top of me and kicks his shoes off. I kick mine off as well. Peeta starts breathing heavier and he turns us around so I'm on top. His hands rest on my thighs as he hitches my legs up a bit. My hands tangle in his hair and my cheeks start burning. After about half an hour I lean back. I lick my lips and sit up straight. He sits up as well and gives me a small kiss on the cheek. Then I stand up and look for my schoolbag. We had to go back to school again tomorrow. Ugh.

I grab my schoolbooks and put them all in my bag. Then I notice one of my notebooks is missing. I turn around and see Peeta looking in it with an amused face. I walk over to him and try and grab it, but he holds it out of my reach. What did it say in my notebook that he found so amusing? I try and grab it again but he holds it away from me and grins at me. "Why does it say my name a hundred times?" He asks and shows me a page. It says 'Peeta' in different colors, all over the page. That must have been from when I just started liking him or something. I didn't remember writing all of that.

He grins and raises his eyebrows. I start blushing and try and grab the notebook. He puts his arm around my waist and pulls me in for a kiss. I lean back and roll my eyes. "Can I have it back please?" I ask. He turns around and turns the page. A piece of paper falls out and he picks it up. I immediately recognize Madge's and my handwriting. He picks it up and runs to the other side of the room. He clears his throat and starts reading it out loud.

"He totally likes you!" He says with a high voice. I suddenly know what piece of paper he's holding in his hands. It was of the second week after I met Peeta. Madge was trying to convince me that he liked me. "No he doesn't!" Peeta says with a different high voice, trying to imitate me. "Haven't you seen the way he looks at you? Or how he blushed when I said you told me all about him? Katniss, he likes you! It's a wonder he hasn't made a move yet!" He then says with 'Madge's voice' and wiggles his eyebrows at me. I laugh and run after him.

"Madge, about that last bit.." He then says in my voice again and puts down the piece of paper. "So you told Madge about our first kiss?" He asks and grins. I snatch the piece of paper and my notebook out of his hands. "What did you tell her? Did you say it was the best kiss ever? Did you tell Madge I'm a brilliant kisser?" He asks and grins even bigger. I roll my eyes and put my notebook in my bag.

"Surely you told her it was magical." He then says and walks over to me. He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear and brushes my cheek with his thumb, just like before our first kiss. Then he leans in and gives me a small kiss on the lips. He leans back and grins. I chuckle. "I just told her it was.. nice." I say. He looks at me with a fake hurt face. "Just nice?" He asks and puts his hand on his heart. "Are you trying to say, my kisses are only 'nice'?" He then asks and grins slightly. I shrug and grin at him. He steps closer to me and puts his arms around my waist. "I'll just have to convince you that they're amazing then." He whispers and leans in. He pushes his lips against mine and I wrap my arms around his neck.

He kisses me passionately and when he pulls back a few moments later, I have to admit it was better than 'just nice'. He raises his eyebrows and I chuckle. "Amazing." I say. He grins and leans in again.

**Prim's POV**

"Alright, I'm gonna go home, have fun in the park, lovebirds." Rue says and turns around. I roll my eyes and we watch her walk away. Then we both sit down in the grass. Liam makes little patterns on the back of my hand and I smile. Then he looks up at me and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. "You're so beautiful." He says softly. I blush and look down. "Thank you." I whisper. He smiles and I give him a kiss on the cheek. Then we lie down on the grass. Liam puts his arm behind me and I rest my head on his arm. We talk about what we see in the clouds and what it reminds us off.

After a few minutes Liam points at a cloud. "That one looks like a primrose." He says and smiles at me. He's right. I smile and squeeze his hand softly. After a while we stand up and walk around. "How are your sisters?" I ask. He shrugs. "They're doing okay." He says and smiles. "Emily keeps teasing me. Every time she sees me she goes: 'Prim.' And then wiggles her eyebrows." He says and rolls his eyes. I laugh. "I don't mind though." He then says and smiles at me. I smile as well and look down.

"Katniss and Peeta saw you kiss me last night." I then say. Liam's cheeks go red and he grins slightly. "What did they say?" He asks. "They just grinned at me the whole time. They didn't mention anything though." I say. He chuckles and then stops walking. I stop walking as well. He leans in and gives me a kiss on the lips. After five seconds he leans back and blushes. "I'm sorry, I just love doing that." He murmurs. I chuckle and give him a small kiss on the lips. "Don't be sorry." I whisper. He grins and we start walking again. We walk to my house and go to the living room. I could hear Katniss and Peeta giggling upstairs. I roll my eyes and close the living room door.

We sit down on the sofa and I turn on the tv. Then I snuggle into Liam's chest. He puts his arm around my shoulder and I can nearly feel him grin. After a few moments his finger pushes my chin up gently. He gives me a quick kiss and then leans back again. He smiles smugly and I chuckle. I lay my head on his chest and close my eyes. This was so nice. I could get used to this. Suddenly the door opens and Peeta and Katniss walk in. They see us and grin. "Hey guys." Peeta says and raises his eyebrows at us. I blush and sit up straight.

**Katniss' POV**

The blush on both of their faces was adorable. Prim sits up straight. "Hi." Liam says. "Hey. Have a good time in the park?" I ask. They both nod. "Good. Liam, would you like to stay for dinner?" I ask. He looks at Prim for a second and then back at me. "Can I?" He asks. "Yeah, Peeta's staying for dinner as well." I say. Peeta looks at me with a confused face. "Am I?" He asks. "Yes, you are." I say and give him a quick kiss. He chuckles. "Okay then." He says. I turn to Liam.

"So will you stay for dinner?" I ask. He shrugs. "Okay then." He says and smiles. I smile back at him and walk into the kitchen. Peeta walks in as well and closes the door behind us. "So, what's for dinner, chef?" He asks. I shrug. I open the fridge and the cupboard. I grab some fish and some vegetables. "This will have to do." I say and starts chopping the vegetables. Peeta chuckles and helps me. After about half an hour, dinner's ready. I lay the table and Peeta brings in the plates. Then I sit down next to Peeta, and Liam and Prim sit down across from us.

"This is lovely." Liam says as he puts his fork in his mouth again. "Thanks." I say and grin. "So, Liam." Peeta then says. Liam looks up. "Yes?" "Are you dating Prim now or what?" He asks and grins. Prim nearly chokes on her food and I start laughing. Liam looks at Prim and then shrugs. Prim blushes and looks down. Then Liam smiles. "Yeah. We're dating." He says. Prim looks up at him and smiles as well. Peeta and I nod slightly. "Okay. Be nice to Prim. She's like a little sister to me." Peeta says and looks at Liam with warning eyes. Liam smiles and nods. I give Peeta a quick kiss on the cheek and he smiles.

Prim smiles at Peeta. Then she turns to Liam and I. "Peeta's a great big brother. He gives me cookies every week, unlike my sister.." She says and grins at me. I stick out my tongue and everyone laughs. We talk for a while and finish our dinner. When we're done, Peeta and I wash up while Liam and Prim watch some tv. Then we walk into the living room and Liam stands up. "I better get home. Thanks for letting me stay." He says and smiles. "You're welcome." I say. Liam and Prim walk out to the porch and Peeta and I run to the window.

We see Liam say something to Prim, which makes her blush. He brushes her cheek once and then gives her a long kiss. It takes about ten seconds, and when Liam leans back, Prim notices she put her arms around his neck. She removes them quickly and looks down. Peeta and I laugh. Then they both say something and Louis walks away. Prim turns around and sees us looking at her through the window. She glares at us and then walks in with red cheeks.

"Stop spying on me!" She says. "We weren't spying on you, Prim. We were just casually looking out of the window." Peeta says and grins. Prim rolls her eyes and goes upstairs. We laugh and walk over to the sofa. We watch some tv for an hour or two. Then Peeta says he has to go. I walk outside with him and stop on my porch. He puts his arms around my waist and pulls me in for a long kiss. "I had fun last night." He then says and grins mischievously. I chuckle and look down. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight, okay?" He asks. I nod and give him one last kiss. Then he walks home and waves at me. I wave back and then go upstairs. I decide to just go straight to bed, as I had to get up early tomorrow.

I have a quick shower and put on my pajamas. Then I set my alarm clock for 7.15. Ugh. I put the lights off and climb under the sheets. I think of what happened yesterday night with Peeta. It was just so.. wow. I close my eyes, and after a few minutes I fall asleep.

**Author's Note: And this was chapter 34. Next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Wednesday! :) Hope you liked the chapter, and don't forget to review!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's Note: At chapter 20 we had 200 reviews. Now, 15 chapters later, we have 529 reviews. Thank you all _so_ much. Anyway, here's chapter 35, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 35_

**Katniss' POV**

I sigh and turn my alarm clock off. I felt like I hadn't slept at all. I get up and stretch my back. First days of school were always the hardest. I get up and have a quick shower. Then I put my clothes on and get ready. I walk downstairs and say good morning to Prim and my mother, who are both in the kitchen, making some breakfast. "Morning Katniss. Looking forward to school again?" Prim asks. I snort and she chuckles. I grab some bread and sit down. After a few minutes I hear Peeta honking outside.

"Have a good day Prim!" I say as I walk out the door. I walk over to Peeta's car and sit down. He gives me a quick kiss and then starts the engine. "You look tired." Peeta says and looks at me with a worried face. I shrug. "I'm just not used to getting up this early anymore." I say. Peeta chuckles. After a few minutes we're at school and wait for Madge. "Hey guys." She walks over to us and smiles. "Hi Madge." We both say and walk to our first class.

I sit down next to Peeta and the class begins. I sigh and put my head on my desk. Peeta looks at me and chuckles. He pokes my belly softly and I chuckle as well. He then grabs a piece of paper and a pen. He writes something on the piece of paper and then hands it over to me.

_Hi_

I roll my eyes and he grins. I write _hey_ and give it back. He smiles and starts writing again. A few seconds later I see the paper is on my desk again.

_How are you?_

I look at him and raise an eyebrow. He shrugs slightly and grins. I shake my head and grab my pen again.

_Brilliant. I mean, who doesn't love the first period after a holiday?_ I write and pass it back. He chuckles silently.

_I don't. I'd rather be at home with you. Watch a movie, eat some pizza, and snuggle up on the couch._ He writes. I sigh. That was exactly what I wanted as well.

_Me too. But I got a feeling you want to do more than snuggling._ I write and give it back. His cheeks go a light pink and I laugh silently.

_Sure, if you want to hold hands as well.. _ He writes and grins. I chuckle and write something back.

_Oh you're so innocent, aren't you?_ I hand it back and he nods.

_Innocent as a lamb. That's me._ He writes and hands it back. I smile and put my head on my desk again. Even when I was in class, tired and bored, Peeta could make me smile.

_Well then why do you have a little blue box in your room?_ I write back after a while and raise my eyebrows.

_Well one of us needs to have one... _He writes back and grins mischievously. I blush and Peeta chuckles. Then the teacher turns around. "Mr. Mellark, Ms. Everdeen." He says loudly. Our heads snap up and the teacher walks towards us with an angry face. "What did I say about passing each other papers in the classroom?" He asks and crosses his arms.

"That you think it's rude but that you won't punish us?" Peeta tries. The class chuckles and the teacher rolls his eyes. "Very funny, Mellark. Would you like to read your conversation out loud?" He asks and grins slightly. Peeta's face goes pale and he looks at me with wide eyes. "Th- that won't be necessary, sir." Peeta stutters.

"Oh, but I insist. Come on, start reading." Mr. Edwards says. Peeta swallows and picks up the piece of paper. He clears his throat and winks at me. I put my hands on my cheeks, was he seriously going to read it all out loud? The whole class would know about.. things. Peeta starts reading. "Hi." He says in his voice. "Hey." He says in a high voice, which is supposed to sound like mine. Some kids chuckle and Peeta grins slightly.

"How are you?" "Brilliant. I mean, who doesn't love the first period after a holiday?" He says. Then he looks at me. I knew what was coming now. The snuggling part. Oh my god.

"Nobody! I love school. And geography is my favorite class. Panem is such an interesting country to learn about. And Mr. Edwards is such an amazing teacher." He then says and suppresses a smile. I put my hand over my mouth and look down. Of course Peeta wouldn't actually read it out loud. He would think of a whole conversation. Mr. Edwards raises his eyebrows slightly and nods approvingly.

Peeta looks at me again and goes on. "Geography is my favorite class too! And Mr. Edwards is absolutely my favorite teacher. The way he talks about Panem- it's brilliant. Such a great man." He then says in 'my voice'. I cough a bit, hiding my laughter, and a few people raise their eyebrows and shake their head. Madge is shaking with laughter in front of me.

"I agree. He's the best." Peeta says in his own voice again. Then he folds the piece of paper and puts a hand on Mr. Edwards' shoulder and sighs. "I'm so sorry we were passing papers in your class." He then says and looks at him. Mr. Edwards narrows his eyes for a second and then nods slightly. "Just don't do it again, okay?" He says. Peeta nods his head and Mr. Edwards gestures for him to sit down again. Peeta sits down next to me and the teacher walks back to the front of the class.

I put my head on my table and start laughing. I can't believe that just happened. Peeta looks at me and grins. I shake my head and listen to the teacher for a few minutes. Then the bell rings and we walk to the canteen. We all start laughing. "You are such a good liar!" Madge says and gives him a high five. Peeta chuckles and grins. "I can't believe Mr. Edwards believed you though. _Mr. Edwards is my favorite teacher!_" I say and laugh again. Peeta puts his arm around my waist and smiles. "If I didn't say that he would have read the piece of paper himself. And that wouldn't have been good." He says and grins.

"What was on the piece of paper anyway?" Madge asks. Our cheeks start burning and I look down. "Oh my god, you were sexting on a piece of paper in class." Madge then says softly. Our heads snap up. "Sexting?" I ask. She nods. "You know, when you text each other dirty things. Only you did it on a piece of paper." She says. We both start laughing. "Madge, we weren't.. sexting. Well, not really." Peeta says and I nod. Madge just rolls her eyes.

"I don't even want to know. Come on, let's get some lunch." She says as we follow her into the canteen. We sit down and Madge pulls out a small mobile phone. I roll my eyes, I didn't understand why people had those if they already had a phone at home. Only the richest people had them. Then my eyes widen. "Have you been _sexting_ with Gale?" I ask and raise my eyebrows. Madge nearly chokes on her sandwich and Peeta slaps her back softly.

"Uh, what? I- we- no!" She says and her cheeks go a dark red. Peeta and I start laughing and she rolls her eyes and looks down. Peeta elbows me softly and then clears his throat. "Madge, you look so damn hot in that tight, pink shirt and sexy skirt." Peeta says with a deep voice, trying to imitate Gale. I start laughing uncontrollably and Madge's cheeks go a darker red. I put my head on Peeta's shoulder and try to regain my breath a bit. This was too funny.

"Oh, Gale, I wish you could just take your t-shirt off nice and slowly in front of me." I say with a high-pitched voice. Madge glares at us and Peeta starts laughing and gives me a high-five. Madge stands up. "I'm going to my next class." She murmurs and walks away with a red face. We both laugh for a while and then stand up. Madge would forgive us later.

"Free period." Peeta says and slides his fingers into mine. I smile and grab my bag. Then we walk outside and sit on the grass. I rest my head on his shoulder and he puts his arm around mine. "Sexting." I whisper and shake my head. Peeta chuckles and kisses the top of my head. I sigh and put my hand on his chest. I lean in and gave him a small kiss on the lips. He smiles and brushes my cheek softly. "You know, in 40 days Finnick, Gale and Annie will be back. Then we can ask Gale about it." He says and grins. I chuckle and nod.

We talk for a while, and just kiss a bit. Well, a lot. After an hour we hear the bell ring again. Peeta helps me up and we walk to our next class. He stops outside of the door and puts his hands on my waist. He gives me a small kiss and then smiles. "I'll see you in two classes. Then we have art." He says and grins. I roll my eyes. One of our classes, starting today, was art. The school thought it would be better to let us draw for an hour instead of having another hour of maths. I didn't really mind though. Peeta was happy about it.

He walks away and I sit down next to Madge. She turns her head the other way and I roll my eyes. "Madge." I say. She turns her head slightly and glances at me. "We don't sext each other." She says. I chuckle. "Fine." I say and shake my head slightly. She smiles and turns around so we can talk again. After a few moments the teacher walks in and the class starts. My next two classes go by in a flash, and before I know it, I'm in the classroom filled with paints, big papers, paintbrushes and pencils. I sit next to Peeta and he grabs my hand.

A few moments later two people walk in. There's one old lady, who I suspect to be our arts teacher. She smiles at us and clears her throat. "Welcome to art class. I'm Mrs. Berry. And this is my assistant, Aaron." She says and gestures to the boy next to her. The boy, who I think is only a year older than us, puts up his hand and smiles slightly.

"Anyway, today I want you all to just grab a sheet and draw something, so I know who I'm working with this year, and what we have to focus on. You have 50 minutes." She says and turns around. Peeta and I grab a piece of paper and sit down at one of the tables together. This wasn't too bad. The whole class was talking and having fun, there was a very relaxed feeling in the classroom. "So what are you gonna draw?" Peeta asks. I shrug and bite my lip slightly. "I think the woods." I say. Peeta smiles and nods slightly. Then he starts drawing something himself. I bend down and start drawing some trees.

After a few minutes I lean back and frown. The trees didn't look like trees at all. I sigh and start rubbing it all out again. "This is never gonna work." I murmur and start drawing again. After a few tries I give up. Aaron walks over to us and sits down opposite us. "Hi. What's your names?" He asks. He had black hair and bright green eyes. "Katniss." I say. "Peeta." Peeta says and smiles. Aaron smiles and nods slightly. "Aaron." He says. We chuckle.

"So how's the drawing going?" He asks. I roll my eyes, and Aaron stands up and stands behind us. "Peeta.." Aaron says and gasps. Peeta looks up and grins. I look at his drawing and gasp as well. He had drawn.. me. "That's amazing." Aaron says and puts his hand on Peeta's shoulder. "Thank you." Peeta says and grins.

"Peeta, why did you draw me?" I ask. He shrugs and leans in to whisper something. "I like drawing beautiful people." He whispers and leans back again. I roll my eyes and blush slightly, and he grins. "Katniss, I see you haven't drawn a lot yet." Aaron then says.

"I tried drawing the woods, but it didn't really work.." I murmur. Aaron nods slightly and bends over me. He grabs my pencil and starts sketching some quick trees. "You have to start in the middle, and then do the branches. Otherwise it's very hard." He says and puts the pencil down again. "Thank you." I say and smile. He winks and walks away again. I tried drawing a tree myself, and this time it actually worked.

After another half an hour the time's up and we all have to hand in our drawings. I'm quite proud of mine. It wasn't too bad. It wasn't half as good as Peeta's though. I put my arm around his waist and give him a quick kiss. "Well done." I say and he smiles. We walk to our next classes. When the final bell rings a few hours and classes later, I sigh of relief. The day had gone by so slowly.

We say goodbye to Madge and step into Peeta's car. He starts the engine and a few minutes later we're at his house. He parks the car and we walk inside. Leo's on the sofa in his pajamas. He's under a blanket, staring at the wall and I suddenly think he looks like a small, hurt five-year-old. "What's wrong?" Peeta asks as we walk in. Leo looks up at us with sunken eyes. He then just shakes his head slightly and puts it in his hands. Peeta walks over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

"Leo?" He asks softly. I just stand there in the doorway a bit awkwardly. Leo looks up at him with watery eyes. "She broke up with me." He then whispers. I feel my stomach twist and my heart stops. Leo looks down again and puts his hands in his hair. Peeta's face scrunches up slightly and he frowns. "I'm so sorry.." He says softly. "Isabel broke up with me." Leo says again, and his voice cracks half way. He starts sniffing a bit and I look down. Leo was so in love with her. How could she break up with him?

"Why?" Peeta asks softly, as if reading my mind. Leo shrugs slightly. "She just said it wasn't me. It was her." He croaks. Peeta stands up and runs to the kitchen. A second later he comes back with cookies and a glass of water. He puts it in front of Leo and he smiles for a second. "Thanks." He whispers as he grabs the glass of water. Peeta pats his back softly and looks down. Leo holds the glass of water with shaky hands. "We had an amazing weekend. Then last night she just-" He stops and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"I came back home and went straight to bed. This morning I told Dad I was sick so I didn't have to go to school. I feel so bad, Peeta. _It hurts_." He whispers. I notice some tears rolling down his face and I feel my own eyes starting to get watery. "You'll be okay, Leo." Peeta whispers and looks into his eyes with his most convincing look. Leo nods slightly and looks down again. After a few moments he takes a deep breath and stands up a bit shakily. He grabs the glass of water a cookie. "I'll be upstairs if you need me." He says softly and walks past me. He goes upstairs and shuts the door. I walk over to Peeta and pull him in for a hug.

"I feel so sorry for him." Peeta whispers. There's pain in his voice, and it's in moments like this that I realize how much Peeta cares for his family and friends. I drag him over to the sofa and he sits down with a sad face. "He'll be okay. You said so yourself." I say softly, making patterns on his hand with my thumb. He nods slightly and sighs. I put my head on his shoulder and play with his fingers a bit, as I don't know what else to do or say.

After a while he looks at me. "Leo thought Isabel would never, ever leave him. But she did. How can she- did she not- I just... They were together for four months or something, why did-" He stutters and looks down again. I nod slightly. Then he looks up at me with scared eyes. "You won't leave me, will you? Say it's not me, it's you?" He asks. I chuckle slightly and push my lips against his. When I lean back I say "Of course not." And Peeta smiles slightly.

He turns the tv on and pulls me into his arms. We watch some program in silence for a while. Then he starts cheering up a bit. "So what did you think of our first art class?" He asks. I shrug. "It was okay. Rather have arts than maths." I say. He chuckles. "That Aaron seems nice." He then says. I turn my head and raise my eyebrows slightly.

"You're not trying to tell me you're gay, are you?" I ask. He starts laughing and rolls his eyes. "I meant he seems nice as a friend or something, Katniss." He then says and slaps my arm softly. I chuckle and he pulls me closer to him. He kisses me and I turn around. I put my arms around his neck and his hands pull my lower back a bit. After a while I lean back and just rest my forehead against his.

He looks into my eyes and I sigh. _His eyes_. Suddenly the front door opens and two people walk in. I turn my head and see my mother and Mr. Mellark walk in with smiles on their faces. When they see us, their smiles drop. "Oh. Hi kids." Mr. Mellark says and rubs the back of his neck slightly. I get off of Peeta's lap and sit next to him. "Hi mum. What are you doing here?" I ask and narrow my eyes. She looks down and shrugs slightly. "Jonathan and I were just going to have a cup of coffee." She says. Peeta and I both roll our eyes.

"Dad, in case you didn't know, Leo's upstairs with a broken heart." Peeta then says softly. Mr. Mellark's head snaps up and he frowns. "What?" He asks. "Isabel broke up with Leo." Peeta says even softer, as if it hurt to say it out loud. Mr. Mellark puts his hands on his face and sighs. "Oh no." He says and turns around. We hear him walk upstairs and a door closes. My mother turns her head and looks at us.

"So.." She says and looks down. "What were you doing here anyway, Katniss?" She asks and narrows her eyes at me. I roll my eyes. "I come here nearly every day after school, in case you haven't noticed." I say and glare at her. She nods slightly. "Oh I know that, but what do you do?" She asks. I look down and Peeta squeezes my hand slightly.

"Usually we just watch some tv and talk, don't we Katniss?" Peeta says. I nod and my mother looks away. "Sure." She murmurs and looks at the stairs, waiting for Mr. Mellark to come back. There's an awkward silence, and after a few moments we hear Leo's door opening again. Mr. Mellark walks down the stairs with a frown. "Poor Leo." He says and massages his head a bit. Then he sighs and looks up. "Coffee?" He asks. My mother nods and they walk into the kitchen, closing the door behind them.

I roll my eyes and snuggle into Peeta's chest. He puts his arms around me. "You know what I think we should do?" He then asks. I look up at him. "Well?" I ask. He grins mischievously. "I think we should just buy a house somewhere far away from here, far away from all the drama of our parents' relationship and everything. And then we could just skip school and I could sell my paintings and you could hunt and we'd live off that for the rest of our lives. And we could snuggle every day without people walking in." He says and winks.

I laugh and shake my head. He chuckles and rests his chin on my shoulder. I turn my head slightly and kiss his cheek. He smiles and strokes my hair. Then he looks at my braid. "Is it hard to do your hair like that?" He asks and holds up my braid. I shake my head. He nods slightly and puts it down again. Then he grins. "Can I braid your hair for you?" He asks. I laugh. "Sure, if you want." I say. He grins and repositions me, so he has enough space to work on my hair. First he takes the braid out and untangles my hair slightly with his fingers.

He divides the hair into three separate parts. Then his fingers gently start braiding my hair. He makes sure he's careful, not tugging at my hair or anything. After five minutes he sighs. "Finally." He says and puts the elastic around the bottom. We stand up and walk up to his bedroom. He closes the door and I stand in front of the mirror, examining my braid. There were a lot of holes, and it wasn't very tight, but it wasn't very bad.

He stands behind me and puts his arms around my waist and his head on my shoulder. He looks at us in the mirror and smiles. I smile as well and put a hand on his cheek. We stand there for a moment, looking at our reflection. "You're perfect." He then whispers into my ear. I see his reflection grin as he whispers it. I chuckle and blush slightly. Then I turn my head slightly and look straight into his eyes. I lean forward and press my lips against his. I turn my body around and put my arms around his neck loosely. He smiles into our kiss and puts his hands on my waist, pulling me closer softly.

It was a sweet kiss. No lust, no hunger. Just a gentle, soft kiss. After a few minutes he leans back and tucks some pieces of hair behind my ear, which he hadn't braided correctly. "I don't deserve you." I then say softly. It just didn't seem fair. Peeta was so perfect, why did I get him? He just rolls his eyes. "No, really. I could live a thousand lifetimes and never deserve you." I whisper. Suddenly he picks me up and carries me over to the bed. He puts me down and sits next to me. He puts his hands on my face and puts his forehead against mine.

"Don't say that. It's not true." He says with a soft voice. "If somebody here doesn't deserve the other, it's me. So shut up.. and kiss me." He says and grins. I chuckle and lean in. My hands trace his chest and his arms wrap around my waist. He lies down and pulls me on top of him. After a while I glance at the clock and see I have to get home. I sigh and sit up. "I have to go home." I say. Peeta pouts for a second and I chuckle. I slide my fingers into his and we walk downstairs. I look in the kitchen and see my mother must already be home. Peeta walks me outside and we stop on my porch, as always.

He gives me a long kiss before pulling back and smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow." He says and gives me one last kiss. I smile and he turns around and walks home. I walk inside and see my mother is already serving dinner. "You didn't have to make dinner.." I murmur as I sit down next to Prim. She swallows and looks away. Then she sits down as well and we all dig in to some stew she made.

After dinner I watch some tv with Prim and then call Gale for a chat. We talk for a while, about some unimportant stuff. Then I hang up and get ready for bed. I take my hair out of its _perfect_ braid and put on my pajamas. Then I brush my teeth and walk over to the window to close my curtains. I see Peeta taking off his shirt and freeze. He takes of his shirt and then turns around. He's about to put down his shirt when he notices me. He freezes and starts blushing. I grin and blow him a kiss. He chuckles and blows me a kiss as well. Then I close my curtains and turn off the lights. I lie down and pull the quilts over me. It was so cold at nights now. It wouldn't take long before it would start getting really cold in the day time as well, and maybe even start snowing.

I yawn and close my eyes. I hope Leo's okay. He looked so heartbroken today. I turn around and get comfy. After a while I start getting tired and fall asleep, wondering why Isabel would dump a Mellark.

**Author's Note: And that was chapter 35. By the way, did you know Philip Seymour Hoffman has officially been cast as Plutarch Heavensbee? Woohoo! The casting has begun, and now it can't take long before we find out who's gonna be cast for Finnick, Johanna, and all the others. I'm so excited it's actually freaky. Anyway, next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Thursday! :)**


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's Note: Hi, sorry I didn't update yesterday! A lot of people, well, actually nearly all of you, said that Jena Malone was cast for Johanna. I thought they had asked her, but that she hadn't said yes or anything yet? All I know is that it isn't confirmed by Lionsgate yet.. oh well. And oh yeah, Mockingjay is going to be in two parts, woohoo! **

**Anyway, enough about the movies, here's chapter 36! This chapter will be focused on Prim, Liam, Leo, and Madge instead of Katniss and Peeta for once :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 36_

**Madge's POV**

"Miss Undersee, it is time to get up." I open my eyes and nod at the cleaner. She walks away and I get up. I have a quick shower, grab some clothes, brush my hair and teeth, and go downstairs. I sit down at the big table. "Good morning darling." My father says as he walks past me and sits down. "Morning." I say and grab some breakfast. He grabs some bread as well and looks at me.

"Are you still dating that.. Gale?" He asks. I blush and nod quickly. He nods slightly. "He's a good guy. He was the one who always sold me those strawberries you used to love. It's a shame he moved." My father says and sips at his coffee. I nod slightly and look away. This was kind of awkward. "Is he coming over again soon?" My father then asks.

"In the next holiday. I think it's in about 5 weeks." I say. "Great. I'd like him to come for dinner some night, so we can talk and I can get to know him." My father then says. I nearly choke on my bread and start coughing. I put down my cup and put my hand over my mouth. "Are..are you okay?" My father asks and looks at me with a worried face. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." I say and take a deep breath.

My father nods slightly when my chauffeur, Benedict, walks in. "Good morning mayor Undersee, miss Undersee." He says and stands in the doorway. I finish my last bit of bread and stand up. I grab my bag and give my father a quick kiss on the head. "I'll see you later." I say and walk out with Benedict. When we're out I push his arm. "Stop calling me miss Undersee, you know I think it makes me sound old." I say. He chuckles and opens the car door for me. I get in and he closes the door behind me. A few moments later he's in himself and he starts the car.

"So how's Gale?" He asks and smirks. I roll my eyes. "Dad wants him to come for dinner when he comes over." I say. Benedict nods slightly. "You know, I don't think you should be worried." He says after a few moments. I narrow my eyes and look at the older man. He knew me too well.

Benedict had been my chauffeur since I was five. He had gray hair, a wrinkly face, a small gray mustache and a cute smile. He knew everything about me, as I told him everything. I saw him as a best friend, and he was one of the only employees I liked. "I'm not worried." I say. He snorts. "Madge, I know I'm old, but I'm not stupid." He says and winks at me. I chuckle and shake my head.

"I'm just afraid dad wont like him or something." I murmur. Benedict nods slightly and looks at me through the small mirror. "You like him, don't you?" He asks. I blush and nod. "Well then your father will too. You're very alike, you know." He says and focuses on the road again. I lean my head against the carwindow. He was right. Everyone said I was just like my father, on the outside and the inside. After a few minutes we're at school and he opens my door for me.

I step out and put my hand on his arm. "Thanks." I say and smile. He smiles and the skin around his eyes goes very wrinkly. "It's my job." He says and grins. I chuckle and he pats my head. "Come on, off to school. Your father will make me retire if you're too late." He says. I laugh and walk away. I wave as he drives away. A few moments later I walk towards Peeta and Katniss, who are making out outside school.

"It's 8.15." I moan and look at them with a disgusted face. They both jump and pull back. They smile at me and say hey. We walk to our first class, and I sit down next to Katniss. "Love the hickey." I murmur as the teacher starts talking. Katniss freezes and puts her hands on her neck. I laugh and watch Katniss' cheeks go a darker red when I hand her a small mirror. "Shit." She whispers and kicks Peeta, who's sitting in front of her. He jumps and turns his head.

"What was that for?" He whispers. Katniss glares at him and points at her neck. He looks and grins. Katniss rolls her eyes and I chuckle and give Peeta a high five. Then I listen to the teacher. After an hour of listening to Mr. Davis moan about how his wife shouldn't have left him, and how she ruined his life, the bell finally goes and we all walk out. Mr. Davis murmurs something about homework, but nobody listens.

"That was fun." Peeta says sarcastically. I chuckle as we walk to our next class. It goes by in a haze, and before I know it I'm in the canteen with Katniss and Peeta. Peeta puts his arms around Katniss but she shakes them off. Peeta looks at her with sad eyes. "Katniss, come on, don't be like that." He moans. Katniss points at her hickey again and looks away. Peeta sighs and slides his hands onto her waist. He leans in and kisses her jaw slowly, and I look away. They really couldn't keep their hands off of each other. Then again, when Gale and I were in the same room, we couldn't either.

When I look up again five minutes later, I see them making out. I chuckle, nobody could stay mad at Peeta. Look into his eyes once and you'd say 'I'm sorry' yourself. The bell rings and we all stand up. Katniss and Peeta have a free period, but I don't, so I say goodbye to them and walk to my next class. I sit down on my own in the back, and the teacher starts talking. I pull out my mobile and hide it under the table. The teacher wouldn't notice anyway, she was too busy with adjusting her bra and hair in case the principal walked in.

I notice I have a new message from Gale.

_Hi, how are you? Miss you x_

I sigh and smile. I got a message like this every day.

_I'm okay, just bored. Mrs. Hodges is trying to make herself look pretty again. You? Miss you too x _I send back.

Only a few seconds later, Gale sends me one back.

_Aw, poor you, and poor Mrs. Hodges, who is the definition of low self-esteem. I'm fine, bored as well. I'm really looking forward to seeing you again :)_

I chuckle as I watch our teacher pull her skirt lower and grab a small mirror. I remember what my father said this morning and text Gale back.

_Yeah, me too. By the way, my dad would like you to come for dinner some night when you're here.._

The principal walks in and Mrs. Hodges jumps. "Oh, well, what a pleasant surprise, hello!" She says and leans on the table a bit, rubbing her neck slightly. He smiles and says something about a meeting later. She nods and he walks out again. She turns to the class and sighs. "Just make page 73." She murmurs and sits down, putting her face in her hands. Everyone grabs their books and starts working. A few moments later I get a text from Gale.

_Oh. Do I have to wear a suit and stuff?_

I smile and roll my eyes.

_No, just wear what you want. It's not like you have to make a first impression or anything, he already knows who you are and stuff. He just wants to get to know you better._

I click on send and look at the pictures on page 73. Then I quickly scan the questions, but before I can write any answers, I get a text again.

_Okay. Anyway, gotta go, my teacher is walking around the classroom, and she might see my phone. I'll text you later. Love you Madge :) x_

I smile. Gale's so sweet. I remember thinking he was a total douche a few months ago, before he moved. I never talked to him, and to me he was just the guy with the bow and arrow.

_Okay, love you too! :) x_ I send back. I put my phone away and start making the questions. After a while the bell rings and everyone walks out. I'm just about to walk out as well, but Mrs. Hodges calls me back. "Madge, can you come here, please?" She asks. I walk over to her desk. "I noticed you were texting." She says and looks at me with a strict face. I swallow and look down. "Who was it?" She asks.

I look up and narrow my eyes slightly. "Gale Hawthorne." I say and blush. Her eyes widen and she raises her eyebrows. "Hunter-boy who never listened to me and never made his homework?" She asks. I chuckle and nod. She sighs. "He lives in another District now, doesn't he?" She then asks softly. I nod.

"District 4." I whisper and look down. "Listen, I was going to ask you to hand in your phone, but.. never mind, just don't text in my class again, okay?" She says. I look up and smile. "Thank you Mrs. Hodges." I say. She smiles slightly and I walk out. I suddenly liked Mrs. Hodges, maybe she wasn't as horrible as I had thought.

**Leo's POV**

"Dude, what's wrong? You're really quiet, did Isabel dump you or something?" Beck jokes. Perry slaps his arm hard. "Jesus Beck, you're so stupid!" He yells. I swallow and look down. Dad had made me come to school today. He said it would take time before I felt better, but that I had to go to school, as it was my last year. Perry tells Beck Isabel _did_ break up with me and his face goes pale.

Suddenly he stands up and gives me a hug. "Leo, I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I-" I shake my head. "It's okay." I say softly. He nods and sits down across from me again. We were at History, but the teacher had left to get something, so everyone was talking. "Why did she break up with you?" Beck asks. I shrug. "It wasn't me, it was her." I murmur. Perry frowns and Beck sighs. "How could she dump you? She'll never find someone like you, ever again." Perry says. Beck nods and then start singing the song 'someone like you'. His singing is so terrible Perry and I start laughing.

"You know what you need? A night out. Let's go to the pub tonight!" Beck then says. Perry nods enthusiastically. "I don't know guys.." I say. I just wanted to go home and sit in my pajamas. "Oh come on, it will be good for you!" Perry says. I sigh. "Fine. One beer." I say. They grin and nod. Then the teacher walks back in and everyone shuts up again.

After a while the bell rings and we walk outside. We were finished for the day. Nearly all of the teachers at school had gotten some sickness, so we were finished at 1. "I'm going home. I'll see you tonight." I say. They nod and wave as I walk around the corner. I go home and walk inside. No one was home yet. I grab a cookie and sit in the living room.

Why did Isabel break up with me? Was there someone else? Did I say something wrong? In the movies, when someone says 'it isn't you, it's me' it's usually the other person. What did I do? I rethink the whole weekend. Saturday we went to the park. Had a picnic. Laughed. Had fun. Later went for dinner in a restaurant. Went home. Watched a movie. Snuggled up in bed. Sunday we went swimming. Had fun. Laughed. Then lied on the grass and talked. And then I told her I loved her.

That evening she sat on the sofa with me and grabbed my hand. "Leo, we have to talk." She said. I knew something bad was gonna happen. But I nodded. She sighed. "I- I'm breaking up with you. It's not you, it's me. I just-" She said. Then she looked down and shook her head slightly. "I'm going home. I hope we can still stay friends." She then said and stood up. She smiled slightly and walked out of the door, leaving me there. I didn't move. I didn't say anything. I was in shock. Millions of thoughts were flying through my mind. Why, how, things like that. After I don't know how long, I got up and grabbed my bags. I took the train back home and tried to get to sleep, without any success.

I sigh and lie down on the sofa. I might be able to have a rest before Perry and Beck get me drunk. They always say they wont, say we'll only have one beer. But I know them. I chuckle and shake my head, remembering the time Beck got so drunk he started telling me he loved me and how I was his '_bestest_ mate'. After that he started dancing on a table, ripped his shirt off, and puked all over Perry's new shoes.

At the time Perry was drunk as well, and he laughed. But the next day he had gotten _so_ mad. Still, he always goes to the pub with Beck and I. "It's because he loves us, and he couldn't imagine better friends." Beck always says, and Perry always slaps his arm. But I know Beck's right. Beck and Perry had been friends forever, and when I moved here, they immediately befriended me as well. Now we were like three brothers.

My eyes close and I have a nice nap.

**Liam's POV**

The final bell goes and I jump out of my chair. I go to my locker and then walk home. Prim was going to come over today. After a few minutes I'm home. I open the door and see my dad at the table. I give him a hug and he smiles. "Hey son. Have a good day?" He asks. I raise my eyebrows and roll my eyes. He chuckles and puts down his newspaper. I put away my bag and throw all of the toys on the table onto the floor.

"Prim's coming over isn't she?" My father says when he sees me tiding up. I grin and nod. He hadn't met Prim yet. She hadn't even ever been here before, so I was really nervous. Suddenly the doorbell goes and I jump. My father laughs and I run to the door. I shake my hair out of my eyes once and open the door. Prim's looking the other way, waving at Peeta and Katniss who are riding away. Then she turns around and smiles. "Hi Liam." She says. I grin and give her a small kiss on the cheek. She blushes and I grab her hand. We walk inside and my father stands up. He walks over to us and smiles.

"Hi. You must be Prim." He says. She nods and smiles. "I'm Liam's father, he's told me all about you." He says. I roll my eyes and slap his arm. Prim chuckles. "Nice to meet you." She says. Then Libby walks in and grins when she sees us. She walks over to us and looks up at Prim. "Hi Prim." She says. Prim smiles. "Hi. You're Libby, aren't you?" She asks. Libby nods. Then she pulls Prim down and whispers something in her ear.

Prim looks at me, and when Libby pulls back, Prim smiles and squeezes my hand. Libby walks away and I pull Prim over to the sofa. We sit down and I swallow. "What did she say?" I ask. Prim chuckles. "She said you told her I was pretty." She says softly. Oh yeah. I remember saying that a few times, to anyone who would listen. I blush and squeeze her hand softly. She looks up and smiles. I lean in and kiss her. She freezes for a moment. Then her arms wrap around my neck slowly. My hands rest on her waist, and I feel her smile into our kiss.

After a few moments I hear Emily giggling. We both jump and pull back with red cheeks. Emily's standing in the doorway with a smirk. "Emily, go away." I murmur and look down. She walks over to us and shakes Prim's hand. "Hi. Emily." She says. Prim smiles. "Prim." She says. Emily nods. "Oh I know." She says. Why did my _whole_ family just want to embarrass me?

She walks away again and I close the door behind her. Then I walk back over to Prim. I sit next to her and put my arm around her shoulders. She leans her head on my shoulders and rests a hand on my chest. "Families are embarrassing, aren't they?" She says. I can't see her face, but I know she's smirking. I chuckle and kiss the top of her head. "Yes they are." I say. We just sit there for a moment. Then Prim looks up at me. "Can I see your room?" She asks.

"Sure." I say and slide my fingers into hers. We walk upstairs and I open my door. I gesture for her to walk in front of me and she looks around. I didn't have a very special room. The walls were a light red, and I had a white floor. There was a big window, and a few shelves on the walls with books, toys, games, and other stuff. And my bed was in the corner. She turns around and smiles. "This is lovely." She says. I smile. "Thank you." I say. She walks over to the window and looks out. I stand next to her and wrap one arm around her waist.

She looks up at me and smiles. I brush her cheek with my thumb and give her a small kiss. When I lean back she chuckles. "You really like kissing me, don't you?" She says. I wrap both arms around her waist and put my forehead against hers. "No, I _love_ kissing you." I whisper and kiss her again. She wraps her arms around my neck and her hands run through my hair. After a minute or so I lean back and grin. Our cheeks are dark red and she's looking at me with wide eyes and a shy smile.

"Wanna sit down?" I ask. She nods and we sit down on the bed. I then pull out my secret candy-stash. "No one knows about this." I say and open it. She chuckles and grabs some candy. I grab some for myself as well and then hide it behind my bed again. She then notices my guitar. She looks at me with wide eyes. "You play guitar?" She asks. I smile and nod. "For seven years now." I say. My mother used to love hearing me play. Prim looks at the guitar for a moment and then back at me.

"Will you play something for me?" She asks. I swallow. What if she didn't think I was good? She sees my hesitation and leans in to give me a kiss. I sigh and stand up. She grins and I grab the guitar. I sit down next to her and swallow again. She touches my hand for a second and smiles. I tune the guitar and then look up at her. I start playing and her jaw drops. I play one of my favorite songs, it was one my father wrote for my mother before she died. It's a happy song, and I know it by heart. I hum a bit and prim mouths the word 'sing'. I look down and sigh. It was so unfair that she could make me do anything.

I start singing and her jaw drops _again_. I start blushing and when the song's finished, she's still just gaping at me with wide eyes. "You're amazing." She whispers. I look down and smile. "Thank-" She puts her hands on my face and kisses me. I put my guitar down and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her a bit closer. I then remember something my brother said a few weeks ago.

"Girls _love_ guys with guitars. Play some guitar for a girl, and she'll love you. Sing at the same time, and she'll nearly want to marry you." He had said. That was quite accurate. Prim nearly jumped on me after I sang her that song. I'd have to thank Dad for teaching me how to play guitar when I was younger. This could come in _very_ handy.

After a few minutes she pulls back and blushes. "I'm sorry, I just, um-" She murmurs. I chuckle and give her a kiss on the cheek. She smiles. "You really are an amazing guitarist and singer you know." She says as I put my arm around her shoulders. She snuggles into my chest. "Thank you." I say and smile. "The song was my father's. He wrote it for my mother." I say. She nods slightly.

"Do you miss her?" She asks softly, as she stares at the guitar. I sigh and nod. I missed her terribly. Sometimes I just want to hug my mother, or tell her how school went, or about Prim. But then I remember I can't. I feel my eyes sting and take a deep breath. Prim looks up at me with sad eyes. She brushes my cheek softly and lays her head on my chest. "Do you miss your father?" I whisper. It's a stupid question, but I don't know what else to say.

She nods, and after a few moments I think I see her eyes are watery. I tilt her chin up with my thumb and she looks away, her lip trembling slightly and watery eyes. I put my arms around her shoulders and hold her close. She puts her arms around my waist and sniffs once. Then I see a tear on her cheek. I pull her onto my lap gently and kiss the top of her head. I stroke her hair and after a while, I brush away the two tears that had fallen. I give her a kiss on the cheek and bite my lip.

"It's okay." I whisper. After a while she looks up at me again. She gives me small kiss. "I'm sorry, it's just that nobody's ever asked me if I miss him. And I do." She whispers. I put my hands on her cheeks and put my forehead against hers. "It's okay." I whisper again and smile slightly. She smiles and gives me a small kiss again. Then she lays her head on my chest and takes a deep breath. After a few moments she looks up at me with a smile.

"Shall we get some cookies or something?" She asks. I smile and nod. We walk downstairs and into the kitchen. I stand on my tiptoes and grab the cookie jar. Then Louis walks in. He says hi to us and then grabs something himself. "I heard you playing guitar." He then whispers so soft only I can hear. I grin and give him a thumbs up. He chuckles and walks out again. I grab Prim's hand and we sit on the sofa in the living room.

I turn on the tv and put my arm around Prim's shoulders. It was like that happened automatically now. Prim said that was what it was like with Peeta and Katniss. Whenever they sat down, Peeta would automatically put his arm around her shoulders or pull her onto his lap. She smiles and we watch some program and eat a load of cookies. After a while she sighs and puts her hand on her belly. I laugh and poke her. She giggles and I smile. I poke her again and she starts laughing.

"Stop it, I'm very ticklish." She says and wraps her arms around her belly. I grin. "Oh, you are?" I say as my hands inch closer to her. She nods and then turns her head and looks at me with wide eyes. Before she can say anything, my hands are on her waist, tickling her. She starts laughing uncontrollably and I grin. "Liam, stop! Liam!" She yells. After a few moments I stop and lean back with a smug grin. She glares at me. Then she turns her head and doesn't look at me. I chuckle and inch closer to her again. I put my arms around her waist and kiss her cheek once. "I'm sorry. I just love hearing you laugh." I murmur into her hair. She smiles slightly. I turn her head gently and give her a long kiss. When I lean back she smiles and rolls her eyes.

"Fine." She says. After a while the doorbell rings. We both stand up and open the door. Peeta and Katniss are standing outside. "Hey guys. Prim, it's time to go home." Katniss says. Prim closes the door in their faces and I laugh. She pulls me in for a long kiss and then opens the door again. "See you tomorrow, Liam." She says and grins. I chuckle and wave at them as they get into Peeta's car.

**Prim's POV**

I get into Peeta's car and close the door. I wave at Liam and he closes his door. Then Katniss and Peeta turn around and raise their eyebrows. "So what did you do?" Peeta asks. "We watched some tv, had some cookies and candy, and he showed me his room. Oh, and he played guitar and sang for me." I say and grin. "No way!" Katniss says and looks at me with a jealous look. Peeta looks at her with raised eyebrows. She grins and gives him a kiss on the cheek. He rolls his eyes and I notice something on my sister's neck.

"Katniss, is that.. a hickey?" I ask and smirk. "I told you everyone would notice it!" Katniss yells and slaps Peeta's arm. Her cheeks go a dark red and he laughs. "No, Prim. It's a bruise." Peeta then says seriously. We both start laughing and Katniss glares at us. "Just start the bloody car." She murmurs and looks away. Peeta chuckles and starts driving home. After a few minutes we're home and Peeta parks the car. Katniss gets out and starts walking to our door. Peeta and I get out as well and Peeta runs up to Katniss.

He puts his arms around her waist and kisses her cheek and her jaw. He's also whispering some things in her ear. I notice he's doing nearly exactly what Liam did when he wanted me to forgive him. After a moment Katniss turns her head and smiles. She gives him a quick kiss and Peeta grins. I chuckle and roll my eyes. We all walk in and sit down. After a few minutes the phone goes. I answer it. "Hello?" I say. "Hey Prim, how are you?" Rue asks. Peeta and Katniss leave the room when they notice it isn't for them.

"I'm fine, you?" I say. "Fine. So, what did you do at Liam's house?" She asks. I can nearly hear her grin through the phone. Why did everyone want to know what we did? "Just watched some tv and stuff. And he played guitar and sang for me." I say and grin smugly. Rue gasps. "Isn't he perfect?" I whisper. Rue laughs. "Did you make out?" She then asks. I laugh. "Rue, you can't just-" "Just answer me." She says.

I sigh. "Yes, Rue, we made out." I say. "WE HEARD THAT!" Katniss and Peeta both yell from the kitchen. I blush and Rue laughs, as she heard them as well. We both talk for another minute. Then she says she has to go. We say goodbye and I hang up. Katniss and Peeta walk in again and raise their eyebrows. "Prim, you're only 13, you're too young to be making out." Peeta says with a strict voice. I chuckle, he really did see me as his little sister.

"Let's just have dinner." I murmur with red cheeks and walk past them, into the kitchen.

**Katniss' POV**

My little sister was making out. _Making out_. She was only 13. When I was her age, I was... I was hunting. Would I have been making out if I didn't have to look after our family 24/7?

Prim walks past us and I roll my eyes. Then I put my arms around Peeta's neck. "Will you please stay for dinner?" I ask. He sighs. "I don't know, Katniss, my dad-" I push my lips against his. After a few moments I lean back. "Please?" I ask. He glares at me. "You're evil." He says and grabs my phone to tell his Dad he's having dinner at my house. I grin and slap his butt. He turns around and raises his eyebrows. I chuckle and we dials the number. After a few moments he's told his father and we walk into the kitchen.

"Mom, Peeta's staying for dinner." I say as I walk past her and start peeling potatoes. "Okay." She says and stands up to help me. I'm still not used to that. After half an hour we're done and the four of us sit down at the table. "So, Prim, what did you do today?" My mother asks. She blushes and swallows her food. "I was at Liam's." She says.

"Who's Liam again?" My mother asks. "Her boyfriend." Peeta says and chuckles. Her cheeks go dark red and my mother raises her eyebrows. "Prim, you're too young to have a boyfriend." She says after a few moments. Prim looks up at her and frowns. "Why? I'm 13, mom." She says. I suddenly notice something. Prim's turning into a teenager.

I look at her body and nearly choke on my food. Prim was getting curves. I hadn't noticed till now. Peeta slaps my back softly and I swallow my food. "Are you okay?" He asks. I nod and look down again. My little duck was going to be a big duck soon. My mother shakes her head slightly and looks down again, cutting her potatoes. "I just think you're too young." She says. "What, does this mean I can't see him anymore?" Prim asks and looks at our mother with wide eyes.

"Well, I would rather have you wait a year. Katniss didn't have a boyfriend when she was 13, either." My mother says. Prim slams her knife and fork down and I nearly jump. "She was busy, looking after _me_. She didn't have time for a boyfriend, mom." She hisses. Peeta glances at me and we both just look down and chew our food. My mother puts down her knife and fork as well. "Prim-" "No, nevermind. Just-" Prim says and sighs. She picks up her knife and fork again and starts eating.

My mother looks at me with shocked eyes. We all eat in silence. After a while Prim helps clean the table and do the dishes, and after that she's about to go up to her room. I give her a hug and a kiss on the top of her head. She smiles slightly and goes upstairs. I walk into the kitchen with Peeta. "_You_ said you didn't want to miss her teenage years.." I murmur. My mother looks up and glares at me for a moment.

"I think you're being a little bit too harsh on her. Prim's a very responsible little girl." Peeta then says to my mother. She looks at him and he continues. "Liam makes Prim very happy. Her eyes are sparkling again, something I barely ever see them do." Peeta says. My mother sighs and looks down. I squeeze Peeta's hand softly. He grins at me. Peeta was so good with words, he could convince anybody into doing anything. My mother looks up again.

"I suppose you're right. I'll tell her I'm okay with it." She murmurs and walks out. I give Peeta a kiss. "Thanks. Prim will be so happy." I say. He smiles and kisses my nose. Then he says he has to go. We walk out and he gives me a long kiss. "I'll pick you up tomorrow." He says. Just as I think he's going to walk away, he leans in and whispers something. "Sorry about the hickey." He whispers and grins mischievously. I roll my eyes and slap his arm softly. He laughs and walks away, waving at me before he goes inside.

**Author's Note: And that was chapter 36, hope you liked it! Someone asked me what gave me the idea to write this. Well, when I made an account, I started reading a load of fanfics, and then I thought I'd give it a try. I started writing the first chapter, without any idea of what the story was going to be about. And you guys liked it, for some strange reason, so I kept on writing chapters. To be honest, every time I open a chapter I just start writing. Sometimes I have a main idea of what's gonna happen in that chapter, but usually I don't. I just write, and then at a certain point I'd just get the idea to, I don't know, let Gale fall in love with Madge when they were in district 12. I hadn't planned that at aaaall. So yeah.**

**Okay I just accidentally wrote a really long Author's Note. So I'll end it now. I didn't have time to reread this chapter again, so I'm sorry if there are a load mistakes in it! Next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Saturday, thanks for reading! :)**


	37. Chapter 37

**Author's Note: Hi! I'm going on holiday next Wednesday, and I'll be gone for _16 days_. I wont have a laptop there so I wont be updating either. I'm really sorry! :( Tuesday will be my last update before I leave. I'll be back on the 3rd of August or something, so I'll start updating again then. Anyway, here's chapter 37!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although the characters are not.

_Chapter 37_

**Katniss' POV**

Wednesday and Thursday go by in a haze. Nothing special happens. Then it's Friday. My alarm clock goes off, and I open my eyes. It was still quite dark outside, and you couldn't really see the sun. I put my alarm clock off and have a quick shower. Then I put on a shirt and some long jeans and get ready. After ten minutes I go downstairs and say good morning to Prim and my mother. I have some breakfast, and after a few minutes I hear Peeta's car. I grab my bag and give Prim a kiss on the top of the head. "Have fun at school." I say. "Have fun with Peeta." She says and grins.

"Not too much fun.." My mother murmurs. I roll my eyes and go outside. There are big, gray clouds, with only tiny bits of blue sky between them. I step into Peeta's car and give him a quick kiss. "Morning." I say and smile. "Good morning." He says and starts the car. After a few minutes we're there. Everyone at school looked so depressed. Must be the weather. Madge walks over to us and smiles slightly. "Hey." She says and puts up her hand for a second. We say hello and walk to our class.

I sit down next to Madge, and Peeta sits in front of me again. Madge looks at me and smirks. I raise my eyebrows and she puts a hand on her neck. I remember my hickey and blush. She laughs and I roll my eyes. I poke Peeta's back and he turns around. "The hickey's still not gone." I whisper and glare at him. He chuckles and grins. I roll my eyes and push him softly. He turns around again and the teacher starts talking.

"Attention, please. There will be a big project again soon. You will have to work in groups of three or four." He starts saying. Then he explains what we have to do. Peeta turns around and looks at Madge and I. "Us three?" He asks. Madge and I nod and smile. Then we all listen to the teacher until the bell rings. We walk to the canteen and sit down. "So, shall we start working on it Sunday? We can work on it at my house." Peeta says. "Sure." Madge says. We have our lunch, and Madge tells us that her dad wants Gale to come for dinner.

"I can imagine Gale and your dad sitting on the sofa, all alone in some room, and it's dark and your dad will be like: 'Do you love my daughter?' And Gale will say: 'Yes sir.' And your dad will turn around and go: 'When is the wedding then?'" Peeta says. Madge nearly chokes on her bread again and we laugh. "I'm _not_ getting married before I'm 25." Madge then says. "But what if you both knew you loved each other, and that you want to be with the other person, in this case Gale, forever?" I ask and raises his eyebrows.

Madge shrugs. "I just don't want to get married before I'm 25. Gale can wait if he loves me that much." She says. We chuckle and finish our sandwiches. Then the bell rings and we go to our next class. The classes go by quickly, until we have art again. Peeta and I walk in and sit down. A few moments later Mrs. Berry and Aaron walk in. They say hello and Mrs. Berry tells us we have to draw an inanimate object, like a chair, a vase, or something like that. Peeta and I sit down and grab one of the vases that were piled up in front of the class. Peeta puts it down and starts drawing immediately. I start drawing the shape. The first half works, only the second half looks crooked. I sigh and rub it out. Peeta looks at me and frowns.

"It wont work." I say and start drawing again. He grins and stands up. He puts his stool right behind mine and sits down again. "Peeta, we're in class." I whisper. He chuckles and shrugs. "No one's looking anyway." He says. He puts his left arm around my waist, and his right hand rests on mine. We pick up the pencil and he moves my hand, drawing the perfect vase. After a few moments he's done and he puts down my hand. I turn my head and give him a kiss on the cheek.

"You know, I think that deserved a kiss on the lips at least." He says. I chuckle and kiss him on the lips. His hands rest on my waist and I forget to lean back. My hands rest on his chest and I feel him smile into our kiss. After a few moments I hear someone clear their throat. I blink and pull back. I see Aaron standing in front of us, with one raised eyebrows and a slight grin on his face. I push Peeta's chest and he laughs and puts the stool next to me again.

"Um, hi. What have you drawn so far?" Aaron asks and stands behind us. I look at Peeta's sheet and notice he filled the whole page. Not only did he draw the vase, he also drew an eraser next to it, the table, and people that were walking in the background. You could also see a little bit of my elbow at the side. "Well done." Aaron says and smiles at Peeta. Peeta says thank you and Aaron turns to me. "That's a very good vase." He says and nods approvingly. Peeta grins and says thank you again. Aaron looks at both of us and laughs. "You do know I'm supposed to tell Mrs. Berry about this, as it is cheating?" He says.

Our eyes widen. He laughs again. "Don't worry, I'm only messing. Great job." He says and walks away. We chuckle and shake our heads. Then Peeta turns to me and slides both hands into mine. I smile and he gives me a small kiss. "Wanna go to the park after this?" He asks. I look out of the window and frown. "I don't know Peeta, it looks like it's gonna rain." I murmur. He leans in, and I think he's going to whisper something. Instead, he kisses my cheek once. "Please?" He then asks and looks at me with sad eyes. I sigh. "Fine." I say. He grins and the bell rings. We stand up and say goodbye to Aaron. Then we walk to my locker.

"We'll see you Sunday, Madge!" Peeta says as she walks away. Then we get into his car and drive home. We put down our bags and then walk outside. He swings our entwined hands a bit, and after about ten minutes, we're at the park. We sit down on the grass and I look around. There was literally nobody. Peeta leans back a bit and I rest my head on his shoulder. His finger tilts my head up and he looks at my neck. He grins and looks away again. I roll my eyes and put my hand on my hickey.

"If you want I can make another one at the other side, then it will be an even number." He says and grins mischievously. I chuckle. "No thanks." I say and give him a kiss on the cheek. He puts his hands on my waist and pulls me on top of him. I put my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. He leans in and gives me a long kiss. When he pulls back a few minutes later, he smiles at me. Suddenly I feel a drop on my cheek. And then another. And another. We both look up and see it's starting to rain.

"Shit." Peeta says and helps me up. Suddenly it's raining really heavy. We're both getting soaked. I grab his hand and we run out of the park, towards Peeta's house. After less than a minute we're both so drenched, it looks like we just fell into a lake. After three minutes of running as fast as we can, we're at Peeta's house. He unlocks the door and we get in. He closes the door and leans against it. We were both breathing really heavy. He grins and I chuckle.

After a few moments he gets up and walks over to me. He brushes the wet hair from my cheek and smiles. Then he gives me a kiss. "Better get you dried, otherwise you'll be sick and we can't go dancing." He says as he drags me up to his bedroom. He grabs two towels and then closes his door. He takes his shirt off and I smile involuntarily. I just can't help it. He chuckles and start drying his hair. My shirt was plastered to my body. I tug at the bottom of it and then get it off. I put it on the heating and start taking off my pants as well. Peeta takes off his pants too and we put them on the heating. Then Peeta looks me up and down and grins mischievously.

"If you want, you can put your underwear on the heating as well." He says. I laugh and roll my eyes. "You wish." I say and dry my hair. "Yes, yes I do." He says and grabs some dry clothes. I blush and he chuckles. He puts them on the chair and then walks over to me. He puts his arms around my waist and grins down at me. I roll my eyes and smile. He leans in and kisses me. I put one arm around his neck, and the other hand rests on his right shoulder. He hitches my legs up and I put them around his waist. He walks us over to the bed and lies down, with me on top of him.

"Your bra's wet, better take it off..." He murmurs and starts tugging at my bra straps. I laugh as he throws it onto the ground a few seconds later. His hands slide down my back and rest on my butt. Before he can start tugging at that too, we hear someone walk up the stairs. We both freeze and jump off of the bed. Peeta throws me a blanket and I put on my bra. Then we don't have time to put on clothes, so we both sit on the bed, under the blanket. Rye knocks on the door once and then walks in. He smiles. "Hey. Can I lend your black shirt?" He asks.

Then he looks at the clothes on the heating. He looks back at us and raises his eyebrows. "I hope you're wearing something under that blanket, you dirty little teenagers." He says and grins. I start blushing and Peeta just throws a pillow at him. Rye dodges it and then laughs. "Okay, okay, I'll just grab the t-shirt and go." He says. He walks over to the closet. He grabs a t-shirt and then slams the closet door. The little blue box that was on top falls down and everything falls out. Rye chuckles and bends down to pick it all up again. "Sorry." He says and start putting them in the box again.

After a few seconds he freezes. His eyes go over every condom, as if he's counting them. Then he looks up at us with wide eyes. He looks at the box again, and then back at us. I feel my cheeks go a dark red and Peeta's got his hands over his face. "Rye, get out." Peeta murmurs. "Dude, there's nine in here, you always get an even number, you two-" Rye says loudly, but Peeta interrupts him. "Just go away!" Peeta says even louder. Rye grins slightly and puts the box on top of the closet. He picks up the t-shirt again and walks over to the door. He walks out, but before he closes it again, he says something. "At least you're using protection, that's good." He says. Peeta groans and rolls his eyes. Rye laughs and closes the door.

Peeta puts his head back and looks at me with sorry eyes. "I'm so sorry, he's just a dick." He says. I chuckle and brush his cheek. "It's okay." I say and give him a quick kiss. He touches my arm and looks at me. "You're freezing." He says and stands up. He grabs a big sweatshirt and hands it over to me. "Thanks." I say and put it on. It was nice and big, so I pulled my knees up to my belly under the sweatshirt as well. The sweatshirt smelt like cinnamon, and the aftershave Peeta always uses. I take a deep sniff and smile. It smelt just like Peeta. He raises an eyebrow and I laugh.

"It smells like you." I explain. He raises both eyebrows. "What do I smell like?" He asks. I take a sniff again. "A bit like cinnamon, and your aftershave. It's a lovely smell. Very sweet." I say. He nods slightly. Then he frowns. "I smell like cinnamon? That's girly.." He says. I chuckle and roll my eyes. He stands up and puts on some pants and a shirt. Then he gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Give me one second." He says and walks out. A few moments later he walks back in with the phone in his hand.

He sits down and dials a number. I hear it ring a few times, and then someone picks up. "Hello?" I hear Prim say. I raise my eyebrows at Peeta and he just winks. "Hey, Prim? It's me, Peeta. I'm just calling to say Katniss is staying for dinner tonight. See you tomorrow." He says and puts the phone down. I laugh and he grins. "What if I don't want to stay?" I ask. He rolls his eyes and gives me a short kiss. Then he grins mischievously. "Wanna call Gale?" He asks. I nod and grin.

He dials Gale's number and puts it on speaker. After a few seconds Gale picks up. "Hello?" He says. Peeta clears his throat once. "Yes, hello. This is doctor... Feelgud. I'm calling to inform you that I have the ointment for your _rash down under_." Peeta says with a low voice. I put my hands on my mouth and through my head back. "Doctor Feelgud? I never went to a doctor.. and what rash down under?" Gale says after a few moments. "Yes, your mother visited me this morning and told me about your rash. But don't worry, you wont die." Peeta says seriously.

"My mother what? I don't have a rash!" Gale says with a panicked voice. Peeta and I are both shaking with laughter. "Mr. Hawthorne, there is no need to panic." Peeta says and gives me a thumbs up. "But I don't _have_ a rash." Gale says. Peeta starts laughing silently. "Um, I'm sorry, give me a moment, I'll let my assistant explain." He says and hands the phone to me. I pinch my nose shut. "Hello Mr. Hawthorne, how can I help?" I ask with a high voice. Peeta nods and I hear Gale sigh.

"Can you please tell me why some doctor is telling me to collect my ointment for my rash that I don't have?" He asks. "Well, in my files it says you have a rash at your private parts. It might be a STD." I say and bite my bottom lip to keep myself from laughing. I hear Gale gasp. "But- I'm a- I've never- what?" He says loudly. "A STD is a-" I start to say, but he interrupts me. "I _know_ what a STD is, but I can't have one." He says. "Oh? Why not?" I ask.

"You're confidential, right? Nobody will get to know this except for you and doctor Feelgud?" He asks. "Yes." I say. Gale sighs. "I- I'm a virgin. I can't have a STD." He murmurs. Peeta and I both but our hands over our mouths again and try not to laugh. "How old are you?" Peeta asks. "That's none of your business, doctor." Gale spits. "Sounds like someone is a bit touchy. The ointment might help." I say. Peeta gives me a high five and bites his lip. "I don't want any-"

"But Mr. Hawthorne, we might have to castrate you if you don't use it." Peeta then says. I put both hands on my face and laugh silently. "What? You- You can't do that! I-" Peeta and I both start laughing out loud, we just can't help it. Gale sighs. "Really, guys? Really?" He says. "Yep." Peeta says in his normal voice. We both laugh for a while. Then Gale speaks again. "I can't believe I fell for that- doctor Feelgud, my god." He murmurs. "I can't believe you'd tell a doctor and his assistant, who you've never met, that you're a virgin." I say. Peeta nods and gives me a high-five.

"Very funny, guys. Anyway, I gotta go. I'll speak to you tomorrow." Gale says. We say goodbye and hang up. I rest my head on Peeta's shoulder and put a hand on his chest. "That was so funny." I say. He grins and nods. "Your low voice actually sounded just like Gale's." I say. Peeta nods slightly and then looks at me with mischievous eyes. "Let's see if Madge notices the difference." He says and dials in Madge's number. I chuckle and he puts it on speaker. He clears his throat once and winks.

"Hello?" Madge asks. "Hey Madge, it's me." Peeta says with a low voice. Madge is silent for a moment. "Gale? What's wrong with your voice?" She then asks after a few moments. Peeta gives me a thumbs up. "Oh, I'm not feeling so good, and my throat hurts." He says. "Oh, okay." Madge says. "Anyway, what are you doing?" She asks. "Just thinking 'bout you." Peeta says. I put my hand on my mouth again and look down. Peeta grins. "Aw." Madge says. I start laughing silently.

"So.. what are you wearing?" Peeta then asks seductively. I nearly burst out laughing, and Madge is silent for a few moments. "Uhm, I'm wearing a- a blue shirt and jeans." She stutters. "Nice, and under that?" He asks. I slap his arm and bite my bottom lip. "Wha- Gale? What's wrong?" Madge asks. Peeta winks. "I was actually just wondering if you were wearing that tight, pink shirt and sexy skirt you were wearing Monday." He says. She's silent again. "How do you know I was.." She whispers. Then she gasps. "Peeta! This is NOT funny!" She yells. Peeta and I burst out laughing and give each other a high-five. "And Katniss is their too? Jesus you two are so immature." She murmurs. We grin. "Yes, we are. How are you?" I say.

She chuckles. "Fine, you?" "We're fine. Pranking people. We were telling Gale we were doctors and that he had a STD." Peeta says. Madge laughs. "You are so silly." She says. Then she has to go, so we say goodbye. Peeta puts down the phone and sighs. "We're weird." He says. I nod. "Yep, we are." I say and grin. He chuckles and puts his arm around my waist. He pulls me closer and kisses me. After a few moments I get up and walk over to the heating. I turn my head and see Peeta looking at me, biting on his lip. "What?" I ask. He blinks and looks in my eyes. He blushes and grins mischievously. "Just admiring your legs." He says. I look down and blush. Then I check to see if my clothes are dry yet. They're dry enough, so I put on my pants and my shirt. I hand Peeta the sweatshirt but he shakes his head.

"It's cold. Keep it on." He says and smiles. I smile and put it back on. Then we walk downstairs and find Rye and Mr. Mellark making dinner. We both sit down and they turn around. Mr. Mellark looks at Rye once and then back at us with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Rye smirks. "Oh my god, you told dad?" Peeta whispers and glares at Rye. "He told me, Peeta. I can't believe you two." Mr. Mellark says. We both look down and I blush. "You could get sick you know." He says after a while. We both look up and look at him in confusion.

"Being out while it's raining isn't good for you." He then says and turns around again. I look at Peeta and put my hand over my mouth. He bites his lip and looks down. Rye walks over to us and whispers something. "I could tell him _any_ time though. Remember that." He whispers and makes dinner again. Peeta swallows and I sigh. Then Leo walks in with a hand on his head. "I still have that bloody hangover." He murmurs as he grabs a glass of water. Rye chuckles and slaps his back. Leo rolls his eyes and walks back out again.

"Dad, can Katniss stay for dinner?" Peeta then asks. "Sure." Mr. Mellark says and grabs another plate. I smile and offer to help make dinner. They say no and tell us to watch some tv or something. We laugh and go into the living room. I sit on Peeta's lap and his arms wrap around me. I lay my head on his chest and we talk for a while. Then dinner's ready. So we all get up and sit down at the table. They had made some pasta. "Dig in." Mr. Mellark says and grins. We start eating and I sigh. Mr. Mellark's cooking was so much better than my mothers.

Rye looks at us and smirks. Oh no. "So, Peeta, what have you done with your frosting?" Rye then asks. Peeta nearly chokes on his pasta and starts coughing. "What?" He says after a few moments. Rye grins. "You know, that orange frosting you bought on Prim's birthday. Have you used that yet?" He asks. Peeta closes his eyes and pinches his nose. "_Yes_, Rye. I have." He says and picks up his knife and fork again. Rye nods slightly and grins. Mr. Mellark just looks at both of them in confusion. Then he looks at me and raises his eyebrows. I shrug and he looks down again.

"So, Katniss. Have you lost anything lately?" Rye then asks. I feel my cheeks blush and shake my head. "No, why?" I ask as seriously as I can. Rye just chuckles and shakes his head. "Just wondering." He says. I kick him under the table and he jumps. He glares at me and I smirk. "Okay, I don't know what's going on here, but can everyone please just eat before the pasta goes cold?" Mr. Mellark says. We all nod and finish our pasta. Then we clear the table and wash up. When we're done, Rye wants to go upstairs, but Peeta grabs his arm. "Rye, can I talk to you for a second?" He asks.

He doesn't wait for an answer and drags him into the living room. He closes the door and then turns around. "I hate you!" He yells. Rye laughs. "Love you too, brother." He says and grins. Peeta sighs and rubs his forehead. "Don't tell dad. Dad will tell Katniss' mom and they might get angry." He says. Rye looks at me and then sighs. "Fine. But if I ever need something and you say no.." He says. Peeta rolls his eyes and pushes him out of the living room. He closes the door and puts his arms around my waist. He kisses my nose once and I smile.

"I better get home." I say. He pouts and I drag him out. We stop on my porch. "Thanks for letting me stay for dinner." I say and put my arms around his neck. "It was my pleasure." He says and grins. Then he leans in and gives me a long kiss. Then he pulls back and kisses my cheek once. "See you tomorrow." He says and walks away. I wave at him and then go inside. Prim looks up and smiles at me. "What are you wearing?" She asks. I look down and realize I still have Peeta's sweatshirt. I'd give it back to him tomorrow.

"Peeta's sweatshirt." I say. She nods slightly and then looks away again. I go upstairs and comb my hair. Then I just put on my warm pajamas and go to bed. This weather was killing me. I lie down and nearly fall asleep instantly, thinking of our conversations with Gale and Madge.

**Author's Note: Hey guys, hope you liked the chapter. I don't have time to reread it again, so I'm sorry if there are a load of mistakes. Oh and I'm sorry it's kinda short, but I'll make it up to you in the next chapter :) It will be up by tomorrow or Sunday. Don't forget to review!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Author's Note: Hi guys! Sorry I didn't update yesterday. Here's chapter 38, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 38_

**Katniss' POV**

I wake up and see it's still dark outside. Ugh. I look at my alarm clock and see it's 11 o'clock already. I get up and have a nice, warm shower. Then I put on some sweatpants and a t-shirt and braid my hair. I go downstairs and see Prim's on the phone. I raise my eyebrows for a second and she just puts up her hand and looks away. "Yeah." She says and laughs. I roll my eyes and grab some breakfast. Then I sit down and watch Prim. She really was growing up. "I know, it's so weird. Uhu... Okay. I'll see you later. Bye Liam!" She says and puts down the phone. Then she turns around and looks at the clock. Her eyes widen and I chuckle.

"How long were you on the phone for?" I ask. She looks down and murmurs "Nearly an hour". I chuckle and roll my eyes. "It's not my fault, I just-" She says. "Forget about the time when you're talking to him?" I say. She looks up at me and nods after a few moments, with a small smile on her face. I smile and finish my breakfast. Then I sit down on the sofa and stretch my arms. I didn't feel like doing _anything_ today. I turn on the tv and grab a blanket that was on the back of the sofa. I snuggle up in the corner. I could be so lazy. After a few minutes the doorbell rings and Prim goes to answer it. A few moments later Prim and Peeta walk in. Peeta looks at me and chuckles.

He takes off his shoes and sits down next to me. I put the blanket over both of us and he puts his arms around my waist. I snuggle into his chest a bit and he kisses the top of my head. "Good morning." He says. I chuckle and say good morning. He looks under the blanket and rolls his eyes playfully. "You should have told me it's Sweatpants-Saturday, now I'm overdressed." He says. I laugh and pull up my legs. We watch some tv for a while. Then Prim leaves and goes to Rue's house. My mother walks in and looks at us. She looks at the blanket and raises her eyebrows slightly, but quickly lowers them again.

"Good morning Mrs. Everdeen." Peeta says and grins. She smiles slightly. "Morning Peeta, Katniss." She says. "I'm going to town, so I'll see you later." She says and grabs her wallet. "My father said he was going to town too, what a coincidence." Peeta says. My mother freezes and swallows once. Then she turns her head. "Oh. Is he?" She then says and nearly runs out of the room. She closes the door and I sigh. Peeta strokes my hair softly and I smile. "Why are you always so nice to my mother, anyway? 'Good morning Mrs. Everdeen'. Even I don't say 'morning' to her." I say.

He looks down and grins. "Well, I have to make her like her possible-son-in-law." He says and looks up again. I blush and lay my head on his chest again. He chuckles and brushes my cheek once. Then he grabs the remote and changes the channel a few times, until he stops on a show called '_Panem's richest_'. "Isn't this where you found out about Madge's house?" I ask. He nods and turns the volume up a bit.

"_...and he lives in District 4 with his soon-to-be wife, and her four children. They live right next to the beach, and we have to say we think this is the best house we've seen so far!" _The commentator says. Suddenly I see a very familiar house. They show the insides and I gasp. "Isn't that.." I whisper. "Gale's house." Peeta says and nods. _"We were allowed to interview one of his stepsons, Rory Hawthorne." _The commentator then says. Suddenly we see Rory on the sofa with a big grin, and an interviewer.

"So, Rory, what is it like to live in one of the most beautiful houses in Panem?" The interviewer asks. "It's amazing. It's so much bigger than my old house in District 12. Plus, it's right next to the beach, so that's very nice." He says and grins. The interviewer smiles and nods. "And tell me, what is your stepfather like? We've seen him in the media, but what is he like at home?" The interviewer then asks. Rory's grin vanishes and his eyes focus on the wall behind the interviewer. "He's nice." Rory says after a few moments. "That doesn't sound very convincing." The interviewer says.

Rory looks up and swallows once. Then he puts on a small smile. "No, really. He's- he's lovely." He says. The interviewer nods slightly and then asks some other questions, about the house, and how much pocketmoney he gets. After a few minutes the interview's over and the interviewer shakes his hand and thanks him. Then they go to one of the next houses. Peeta turns the volume down and frowns slightly. "Well, Rory's a terrible liar." He then murmurs. I frown as well. Why didn't they like their stepfather? Gale had said it was because they didn't really get on well, but Rory was very loving and accepting. He usually trusted people straight away. So why did he dislike him? Something didn't seem right. And apparently Peeta was thinking the same thing, because when I looked up at him, he was frowning slightly, thinking.

"They're fine. He can't be that bad if Hazelle's going to marry him." I remind Peeta. He looks down at me and nods slightly. I give him a kiss and he smiles. "So, are we going to do anything today?" He then asks. I shrug. I was fine with staying at home, really. He chuckles and grabs my hand. "Lunch time." He says and starts grabbing some bread. Then he makes us both some hot chocolate. We sit down on the sofa, next to each other, and I sip at my hot chocolate. There really was nothing better than some hot chocolate on a cold, lazy day. When we're done Peeta pulls me onto his lap and wraps his arms around me. "We should have days like this more often." He murmurs as he kisses my neck. I chuckle and nod, turning my head to kiss him. I put my hands on his neck and play with the curly pieces of hair behind.

"You need a haircut." I murmur in between kisses. He chuckles and tugs at my waist, pulling me closer. After a while I lean back and smile at him. I give him one last kiss on the cheek and then start getting up. "What are you doing?" Peeta asks as he pulls the blanket over himself again. "Call Finnick, I haven't talked to him for a while." I say and grab the phone. Then I sit next to Peeta under the blanket. I dial his number and after a few moments he answers. "Hello?" I hear him say. "Hey Finnick." I say. "Hi Katniss. How are you?" He says. "I'm fine. Just having a lazy day with Peeta, you?" I ask.

"I'm just about to go to the beach. It's really warm and sunny over here, with no clouds, a blue sky, and no wind. Jealous?" He says and laughs. I roll my eyes and Peeta chuckles. "Say hi to Finnick for me." He then whispers. "Peeta says hi." I say. "Oh, say hi back. How is he?" Finnick says. "He's fine. As happy and silly as always." I say and grin. Peeta rolls his eyes and I stick out my tongue. He chuckles and pokes my belly. Finnick and I talk for a while, and then he hangs up. I put down the phone and turn to Peeta. He raises his eyebrows.

"Silly? You think I'm _silly_?" He says. I chuckle and nod. He rolls his eyes and grabs the blanket off of my lap. I grab it back and put it on my lap. He grabs it again. Then I grab it and we both start pulling. I don't let go, but Peeta's stronger, so he pulls the blanket and I closer and closer, until he's close enough to kiss me. He leans in and gives me a small kiss. I roll my eyes and he chuckles, pulling the blanket one last time, so it slips out of my hands. "I win." He says and grins. I roll my eyes again and smile.

I give him a small kiss and he smiles. "So what do I get for winning?" He asks. I shrug. "Oh, I know.." He then says. "How about you stay at my house tonight?" He says and grins mischievously. I chuckle and lay my head on his shoulder. "Well you did win..." I say. He grins and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Great." He says. After a few minutes Prim walks in again. She sees us and chuckles. "Did you just sit there all day?" She asks. "Well we also made some lunch." Peeta says. Prim laughs and walks into the kitchen. "Did you have fun with Rue?" I ask when she comes back.

She sits down and nods. "We played with her little brother, he's adorable." She says. Peeta smiles slightly and looks down. "She's bringing him to play here some time next week." Prim then says. Peeta's head snaps up and he grins. "Can I play too?" He asks. I laugh and he looks at me. "What? I love little children." He says and grins. "Sure." Prim says and chuckles. Then the bell rings and Prim jumps up and runs to the door.

**Prim's POV**

I run to the door and clear my throat. Then I open it and see Liam leaning against the wall. He looks up at me and smiles. He puts his hands on my waist and gives me a quick kiss. "Hi." He then says and smiles again. I smile and say hello. We walk in and he raises his eyebrows at Peeta and Katniss. "You two are really lazy." He then says. I laugh and they both roll their eyes at the same time. "Shut up Liam." Katniss says and smiles. He chuckles and we walk up to my room. He closes the door and slides his fingers into mine. "Exactly one week ago I told you I liked you." He then says and drags me over to my bed. I nod and smile at the memory.

We sit down and he draws little patterns on the back of my hand. "How's Louis?" I ask. "He's finally realized that Madge doesn't like him. He went to District 10 with a few friends this week. He came back yesterday. I think he even went on a date with some Isabel or something." He says. I nod slightly and smile. We talk for a while, and I notice I love listening to Liam's voice. "So how is Rue, anyway?" He asks. "She's fine. Still teasing me." I say and chuckle. He chuckles as well and gives me a small kiss on the cheek.

Then someone knocks on the door. The door opens and I see my mother's head peek through the crack. She smiles and then notices Liam. Her smile vanishes and she looks at our entwined hands. Liam gently releases my hand and stands up. My mother straightens herself and walks in. Liam walks over to her and puts out his hand. "Hi. I'm Liam." He says and smiles slightly. My mother looks him up and down once and then shakes his hand. "I'm Prim's mother. Nice to meet you, Liam." She says and smiles slightly.

Then my mother looks at me and raises her eyebrows slightly. I blush and look down. "Um, Liam, would you like to stay for dinner? Then I could get to know you better. And Peeta's staying as well, anyway." My mother then says. My head snaps up and I see Liam turn his head to look at me. I nod slightly and Liam turns to my mother again. "I'd love to." He says and smiles. My mother smiles and walks out again, closing the door behind her. Liam walks back over to me and sits down. He sighs and puts his head back. "I nearly died when your mom walked in, I was so nervous. It's a wonder I was able to stand up and say something." He says. I laugh and squeeze his hand.

"Why were you nervous?" I ask. He shrugs. "I just wanted to make a good first impression. I didn't want her to hate me or something." He says. I chuckle and give him a kiss on the cheek. "How could anybody hate you?" I say softly. He smiles and leans in for a kiss. I put a hand on his cheek and his right hand rests one of my legs. After a while he pulls back and smiles with red cheeks. Then we hear Katniss yell that it's time for dinner. I hold his hand and we walk downstairs. Peeta and Katniss are already sitting down, and my mother's just bringing in the plates. I see her glance at our hands with a slight disapproving look on her face.

We sit down opposite Katniss and Peeta, and my mother sits down as well. I notice my mother made fries and fish. We dig in. "So, Liam." My mother says. Liam looks up and smiles at her. "How long have you and Prim been.. dating?" She asks. Liam looks at me once and smiles slightly. "A week." He says. My mother nods slightly. "Okay. Tell me something about yourself." She then says. Liam swallows once.

"Well, my name is Liam Finch. I have one brother, Louis, and two little sisters. I'm 13 years old, and I like going to the park with friends. Or Prim." He says and grins at me. I chuckle and look down. Peeta whispers something into Katniss' ears and she nods. "That sounds so cool!" She says softly. "What sounds cool?" I ask. Peeta and Katniss look at me and grin. "Nothing." Peeta says. "Mom.." I moan and pout. My mother tells them it isn't nice to whisper at the table and I grin. Liam laughs as Katniss tells us what Peeta said.

She narrows her eyes for a moment and grins mischievously. "Prim Finch." She then says. I nearly choke on my food and my mother mutters "Oh my god..". Liam's just staring at the wall behind Katniss with red cheeks, wide eyes and his fork mid-air. Peeta and Katniss start laughing and I blush. Prim Finch. To be fair it did sound cool, but what? I'm 13! Liam looks at me and chuckles. "You're whole face is dark red." He whispers. I put my hands on my face and look down. "Thanks Peeta." I murmur and kick him under the table. He laughs and I start eating again.

My mother's looking at Liam and I with a slight frown. I raise my eyebrows at her and she just looks away. "By the way, I'm staying at Peeta's tonight." Katniss then says. My mother raises her eyebrows. "Why?" She asks. Katniss raises one eyebrow. "Because Peeta asked me to and I said yes?" Katniss then says. My mother sighs. Then Peeta start talking. "Mrs. Everdeen, we'll be very responsible. My father, mother and both brothers will be at home with us the whole time." He says. This seems to relax my mother, cause she looks up and nods approvingly. "Okay then." She says and smiles slightly. Katniss smiles at Peeta and he grins.

After a while everyone's finished and we all help wash up. Then I drag Liam into the living room. We sit on the sofa and I give him a long kiss. When I lean back he smiles and brushes my cheek softly. Then the doorbell rings and he sighs. "That's Louis." He says. We both stand up and walk to the door. I open it and Louis smiles at me. "Hi Prim. Liam, it's time to go." He says. Liam looks at me once and then just closes the door, like I did when I was at his house. I laugh as he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me in for a kiss. When he leans back he grins and opens the door again. "Hi again." Louis says and glares at Liam. I chuckle and let go of Liam's hand. "I'll call you tomorrow." I say. He smiles and waves at me as they get into the car. A few seconds later he's gone and I close the door.

I turn around and see Peeta and Katniss' heads peeking at me around the corner. I walk past them to go up to my room, but they stop me. "So _that_ was what you two were doing when you closed the door when we picked you up." Peeta says and grins. I roll my eyes and feel myself blush. Peeta and Katniss laugh as I go up to my room and close the door.

**Katniss' POV**

"I can't believe they already make out. I mean, we didn't even make out that soon." I say. Peeta snorts. "Yes we did. The first time we made out was the day after I told you I liked you." He says. Oh yeah. I remember now. Leo walked in on us. I chuckle and grab Peeta's hand. Then I drag him upstairs. He sits down on my bed and glances at one of my bra's that was hanging around. His cheeks go a light pink and I laugh. I pick up the bra and throw it over at him. He gasps and his cheeks go a dark red. "I don't understand you. Like, you've seen me in my bra and stuff and then you barely blush, but a bra on it's own and your cheeks go a dark red?" I say. He rolls his eyes and throws the bra back on to the ground. I chuckle and grab my dress. I take off my shirt and Peeta just stares at me, biting on his bottom lip and with a playful grin.

I take off my pants as well and put on my dress. It felt so weird to be all dressed up after having such a lazy day in sweatpants. I take my hair out of its braid and comb it quickly. Then I put on my mother's high heels and look at myself in the mirror. This would do. Peeta walks over to me and gives me a kiss. "You look wonderful." He says and smiles. I smile and thank him. Then I slide my hand into his as we walk downstairs. "Have fun tonight." My mother says as we walk out of the door. We go to Peeta's house and walk up to his room.

I sit on his bed, like he did at my house, and watch him as he takes off his shirt. He blushes when he sees I'm watching him. I loved it when he blushed. He looked so adorable. I grin and he chuckles. He puts on his dancing-clothes and after five minutes, we're ready to go. I give him a kiss and he smiles. Then we walk downstairs. We say goodbye to Rye and Leo, who wish us a good time. Then we go outside and step into Peeta's car. I notice it's starting to rain. Ugh. After a few minutes in the car, we're at the town hall. Peeta parks the car and grabs my hand. We step out and run inside, as the rain was starting to get heavier.

We find the right room and walk in. Then I see Sophia and groan. We walk over to the side of the room and Peeta puts his hands on my cheeks. "Katniss, just never mind Sophia, okay? Whatever she says, or does, just ignore it." He says. I roll my eyes. "I'll try." I murmur. He smiles and gives me a quick kiss. Then we walk over to the middle of the room, where Sophia and Justin are just about to start class. Sophia sees me and smirks. I glare at her and then try to focus on Justin.

"Welcome back, everyone. I'm happy to see everyone who was here last week, came this time as well. And we have some new faces, which is also great!" Justin says and smiles. "Anyway, let's start. We'll just warm up a bit first." Sophia says with her annoying voice. Sophia and Justin start bending over, and stretching their arms. Then they jump a bit and stretch their legs as well. We all do the same, and after a few minutes we're all ready to dance. Sophia says some things, but I don't listen. Suddenly everybody starts finding their partners, and Peeta grabs my hand.

The music starts and Peeta moves his feet. I copy him and he twirls me around. Sophia walks over to us and smirks at me. Then she turns to Peeta. "No, Peeta, you have to move your hips a bit more." She says and stands behind him. She puts her hands on his waist and nearly pushes her body against his. She smirks at me again. "Like this." She says and moves his hips a bit. He swallows and nods once. She brushes his cheek and then walks away. I can feel my nails digging into my palms and Peeta wraps his arms around my waist and gives me small, short kisses. I sigh and relax again. I hated Sophia. I hated her _so much_.

We dance for a while, Sophia walking over to us and making mean comments on my dancing or flirting with Peeta. Then I give Peeta a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute." I say. He smiles and releases my hands. I walk over to the bathroom and go to the toilet. Then I look at myself in the mirror. I had to stop being so jealous. It wasn't fair on Peeta. I splash some water in my face and sigh. Then I walk back out and freeze.

Peeta was kissing Sophia. They were kissing. _Kissing_. After a second Sophia pulls away and smirks at me again. Peeta looks at me and gasps. "Katniss, this is not-" He yells. I turn around and run. I run out of the door and towards my house. How could Peeta do this? I felt so angry and sad. My heart hurt and my stomach was twisting. "Katniss, wait! Please!" Peeta yells behind me. I hear some thunder and realize it's raining heavily. I feel tears stream down my face and just run as quick as I can. I then feel one of my heels break and nearly fall. I take off my heels and run home on bare feet.

After five minutes I get home and open the door. "Katniss, you're home early, what's wrong?" Prim asks. Then she sees me and gasps. I run up to my bedroom and slam the door shut and lock it. I throw down my heels and lean against the door. I slide down and sit on the floor. I pull up my knees and try to calm myself. But I can't. My heart is beating too quick and my chest is heaving. My sobs are loud and irregular, and my stomach hurts. I hear Prim knock on the door. "Katniss! Katniss, open up! What happened?" I hear her yell with a panicked voice. I just shake my head slightly and roll up on the floor. This must have been what Leo felt like when Isabel broke up with him. A broken heart.

After a few minutes I hear the doorbell, and then Peeta storming in. I can faintly hear him yell my name, and then Prim calms him down. A few moments later he's knocking on my door. "Katniss?" I hear him say with a trembling, weak voice. "Katniss, please let me explain." He says, and his voice cracks halfway. "Just go away." I try and yell, but barely anything comes out of my mouth. He hears it though. I hear him sigh and walk downstairs again slowly. I stand up and walk over to my bed. I see his sweatshirt on my bed and feel like screaming. How could he kiss Sophia?

I snatch his sweatshirt and throw it into the corner of the room. Then I fall onto my bed and bury my face in my pillow.

**Peeta's POV**

I walk downstairs and Prim gives me a hug. She drags me over to the table and makes me sit down. Then she hands me a glass of water. I realize I'm crying a bit. I sniff once and wipe away my tears. Prim sits down next to me and grabs one of my hands. "What happened?" She asks softly, just like a mother would. "Sophia kissed me. She was just talking to me, and then she pushed her lips against mine. I froze, I was just so shocked. Then she pulled back and smirked at someone behind me, and then I saw Katniss stare at us and she ran away and-" I close my eyes and throw my head back.

Prim sighs and squeezes my hand softly. "You didn't want to kiss Sophia or anything though, did you?" She asks. I gasp and shake my head. "No! I just froze, and I- I-" I feel my eyes water again and my stomach's turning. Prim looks down as well and shakes her head slightly. After a while she looks up at me and brushes one tear away. "Go home, Peeta. Get some sleep. Try and talk to her again tomorrow, okay?" She says softly. I nod as Prim walks me to the door. I say goodbye and walk to my own home, as bit unsteadily. I open the door and my father frowns at me. "What's wrong?" He asks.

Then I can't hold it in anymore. I start sobbing violently. My father runs over to me and pulls me into his arms. "Katniss hates me." I whisper into his shoulder. He sighs and strokes my hair. I explain what happened and he sighs again. "That's not good." He whispers and squeezes me a bit. Then he lets go and looks at me with sad eyes. "It'll be okay. Go to bed, you look exhausted." He says and rubs my arm. I nod and walk up the stairs. I walk in and close my door. I don't put on my pajamas, or even take off my shoes. I just fall onto my bed and try to get to sleep.

**Author's Note: Okay, so the ending isn't that.. pleasant. I hope you liked the chapter though. I'm really sorry, but I didn't have time to reread it _again_. I seriously have to start writing the chapters earlier so I have enough time. The next chapter will be up by tomorrow or Tuesday! Oh, and some people are suggesting I should bring Rory into Prim's love life, but I don't think that could happen. I mean, Rory's only 13 as well, he can't go with the train to visit her. Plus, I don't think Prim liked Rory before they left. Sure, they were great friends, but she was only 12. Anyway, don't forget to review, and thanks for reading :)**


	39. Chapter 39

**Author's Note: Hi guys! A lot of people suggested some really cool idea for this chapter, but I've already kinda worked it out in my head before I even wrote the last chapter, so yeah. Here's chapter 39, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 39_

**Katniss' POV**

I got up twelve times during the whole night. Twelve. In total I only slept for about two hours. So when my alarm clock goes off at 10 o'clock, and I see a little ray of sun peeking through the windows, I feel like a walking zombie. I get up and have a quick shower, washing all the tears from my cheeks. Then I put on some trousers and a shirt and walk downstairs. I walk into the kitchen, and my mother and Prim both fall silent and stare at me with wide eyes. "Morning Katniss." Prim says softly and smiles slightly. I nod once and grab one slice of bread. I didn't feel like talking. Not even with Prim. I sit down at the table and glance at my mother and Prim. They were looking at each other with worried faces.

"I'm fine." I try to say, but it comes out as a weak whisper. Prim looks down and nods slightly. "I think you should listen to Peeta, he-" My mother says. I slam down my knife and glare at my mother. She stares at the knife and then closes her mouth and looks down. I pick up my knife again and spread some jam on my bread. I eat half of it, and then just leave the other half.

"I broke your heels." I say softly. My mother looks up at me and smiles slightly. "Doesn't matter, I can buy new ones." She says softly. I nod once and braid my hair. Then the phone rings. Prim picks it up and smiles. "Hello?.. Oh, hi Gale. Yeah, I'm fine, you?" She says. She listens to him for a moment and then her smile vanishes. "Okay, but, just- um, here." She stutters and hands me the phone. I hold it up to my ear. "Katniss?" Gale says. "Hi." I say. "How are you?" He asks.

"I'm fine." I say softly. He's silent for a moment. "Katniss, what's wrong?" He then asks. "Nothing. I'm fine, Gale. Really." I say as convincing as I can. He sighs. "What happened?" He whispers. I feel my eyes sting and shake my head slowly. Prim grabs the phone off of me and squeezes one of my hands. "I don't think she really wants to talk now. She'll call you back later." Prim says and puts down the phone. I just stare at the wall. How could Peeta kiss Sophia, after everything we've been through?

Prim swallows once and looks down. Suddenly the doorbell goes. Prim frowns and stands up. She walks to the door and comes back with a happy Madge a few seconds later. "Hi Katniss!" Madge says and grins. Then her smile falls. "What-" She says. I stand up and walk past her, into the kitchen. I really didn't want to explain everything. I'd probably end up sobbing again, holding my knees up to my chest and trying to breath normally, like yesterday night. Madge walks behind me and closes the kitchen door. "Katniss, what's wrong?" She asks. I put down my plate and sigh. Then I put on a fake smile. "Nothing." I say.

She snorts. "Nice try. Katniss, what happened?" She says and walks over to me. She puts both hands on my cheeks and makes me look into her eyes. I look away and she sighs. "Fine. Peeta will tell me." She says. I cringe at his name and sigh. Her eyes widen and her jaw drops. "You two are fighting? I can't believe this- you- he- what?" She yells. "Just-" I whisper, but I don't know what to say. She puts a hand on her head and frowns at me. "Well we're still gonna have to make that school project." She then says and grabs a cookie. My head snaps up.

"I am _not_ going to his house." I say. She raises one eyebrow. "Katniss, you have to. We have to make it today, it's really important for our grade and stuff." She says with a full mouth. I sigh. "But-" "No, no buts. We're leaving in a minute so put some shoes on." She says and walks out. I glare at her and roll my eyes. I put on some shoes and she smiles. "Good girl. Bye Prim, bye Mrs. Everdeen!" Madge yells and opens the door. We step out and I feel an icy wind. How could it get so cold so fast? Madge closes the door and we walk to Peeta's house.

"Madge, I really don't want to do this." I say softly and look down. She grabs my hand and squeezes it softly. "I'm sorry Katniss." She whispers back and knocks on the door. A few moments later Peeta opens up and gasps when he sees me. I look up and see he has gigantic bags under his eyes and messy hair. Looks like I wasn't the only one who couldn't get to sleep last night. "Hey Peeta. We're here to make the project." Madge says and smiles. Peeta just stares at me and I glare at him. He swallows and looks down with sad eyes. "Katniss, I-" He whispers, but I just shake my head and look down as well.

Madge sighs. "Guys, I'm not gonna make you talk or anything, but we just have to do this project, okay? The quicker we finish it, the quicker Katniss can go home again and you can both ignore each other." She says. I feel my eyes sting and pinch the bridge of my nose. Peeta nods slightly and stands back so we can walk in. We walk inside and I sit on the sofa. Madge sits next to me, and Peeta grabs his notebooks and sits down on the chair opposite us. He glances at me and I look away.

"So. Let's start." Madge says and grabs a book. I grab a book as well and start writing some things up. Most of the time it's really silent and awkward. If I need to know something I ask Madge. After three hours Peeta puts down his notebook and stands up. "Lunchtime." He murmurs and walks out. Madge turns her head and looks at me with accusing eyes. "How can you be angry at him? Look at him, he's in bits, he looks like he didn't sleep at all!" She whispers. I roll my eyes. "Join the club." I murmur. Madge sighs and Peeta walks in with cheese buns and three drinks. He puts down the plate and Madge smiles. "Thanks Peeta. I love cheese buns. And so does Katniss." She says and glances at me.

She grabs a cheese bun and waits for Peeta and I to grab one as well. She looks at both of us. "I'm not hungry." We both say at exactly the same time. We both look up and stare at each other for a second. Then I look down and sip at my drink. Madge sighs again and grabs another cheese bun. She pushes it into my hands. "Eat." She says and does the same thing to Peeta. I lean back and pick at my cheese bun. We eat in silence, and when Madge's done, I've only had a quarter. I give the rest to Madge. Her shoulders drop and she looks at me with sad eyes. Then she sighs and eats my cheese bun.

Ten minutes later we work again. After a while Peeta puts down his notebook and looks at me. "Katniss, you don't understand." He says softly, and his voice turns into a whisper halfway. I slam down my notebook, and I suddenly feel as angry as I was last night. "What don't I understand? I saw you kissing her, didn't I?" I yell. Madge gasps and looks at Peeta with wide eyes. He looks around and rubs his eyes a bit. "But I didn't kiss her, she kissed me!" He then yells and puts up his hands. I look down and roll my eyes. How could I believe him? His hands fall down and his shoulders drop.

"Whatever." I whisper and pick up my notebook again. My eyes are stinging and I feel like I'm going to faint or something. Peeta stares at me for a second, with hurt eyes, and then picks up his notebook as well. Madge looks at both of us with wide eyes. Then she blinks and shakes her head for a second, and looks at her book again. We work in silence. I try to concentrate on finding information, but my mind keeps going back to that one question: _How could he?_

**Peeta's POV**

I was so angry. Angry at myself, angry at Sophia, and even a bit angry at Katniss for not believing me. I glance at her and see her trying to focus on reading. I look at Madge and see her writing something. She looks up and smiles slightly. I smile back, although it must look like the saddest smile ever, and then look down again. How was I gonna fix this? Katniss wouldn't listen to a word I said, and apparently she wouldn't listen to Madge, Prim or her mother either.

Maybe she'd listen to her oldest best friend? I stand up and grab the phone. They both look up at me and I say I have to ring Leo to tell him to buy some milk. They nod and I walk into the kitchen. I close the door and dial in Gale's number. After a few moments he picks up. "Hi, Gale. It's Peeta." I say softly. "Hi Peeta. What's wrong?" He asks. I swallow once. "I need your help. Sophia- this girl from our dancing lessons- kissed me last night, and now Katniss won't talk to me and she hates me and I just-" I say, and then stop and breathe out slowly. I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes. "Can you talk to her?" I whisper.

"Of course. I'll call Madge in half an hour, okay?" He says. I smile slightly. "Thanks Gale." I say and hang up. I walk back into the living room and put the phone down. Madge looks up at me, but Katniss just stares at her book with an angry expression on her face. I sigh and pick up my notebook again. At least we were nearly done with our project. We all work in silence again, and after half an hour Madge's mobile rings. She picks it up and smiles. "Hi Gale." She says. They talk for a few minutes, and then she nods. "I know. Yeah.." Then she looks over at Katniss. "Sure." She says and hands Katniss the phone. Katniss looks up and grabs the phone with some hesitation.

**Katniss' POV**

"Hi." I say softly. "Katniss, you have to listen to Peeta." Gale says. I sigh and roll my eyes. How did he even know what happened? "Gale, just-" "No, Katniss, listen to me. Peeta loves you. Everyone with eyes can see that. Do you really think he'd want to kiss some other girl?" He says. I swallow once and notice Peeta looking up at me and biting on his bottom lip with a worried frown. "He could have pulled back." I whisper. Gale sighs. "He was probably in shock, Katniss." He says loudly, clearly getting frustrated.

I just hand the phone back to Madge and look down. "I don't know.. Okay.. I will. Love you too." Madge says and then hangs up. She looks at me once and then looks at Peeta. She raises her shoulders for a second and then drops them again. Peeta nods slightly and then looks down again. After another twenty minutes we're finally finished. Madge stands up and smiles. "That went well. We should get a really good grade for this." She says. We both just look at her and she looks down. "Alright then. I'll be going home." She says and runs out of the door. She slams the door shut and I look down.

Peeta rubs the back of his neck and looks at everything but me. "I'm going home as well." I murmur and walk out of the living room. "Can I walk you home?" He asks and looks at me with sad eyes. I open the door. "I'd rather walk alone." I whisper and walk out. I close the door and walk back to my house. I faintly hear Peeta groan and kick the door. I sigh and open my own door. I walk in and Prim smiles up at me. "Are you okay again?" She asks and smiles. After a few moments her smile fades and she sighs. I walk upstairs and close the door. I open my window, I feel too warm. My hands are clammy and my forehead is damp.

I sit down on my bed and rest my head in my hands. This was so messed up. Buttercup walks in and stares at me. "Go away, you stupid cat." I murmur. He hisses at me and turns around again. I roll my eyes and look at my window. Suddenly I see a little airplane landing on my windowsill. I stand up and narrow my eyes at the window across from mine, but I don't see Peeta anywhere. I pick up the airplane and sit down again. I just wanted to rip it up, but something deep inside told me I should read it. So I unfold it carefully and look at the letter.

_Dear Katniss,_

_I'm sorry for what happened. I know you're angry, and I understand why. But you just have to know that Sophia nearly jumped on me. I was shocked, and I froze. A second later she pulled back and I saw you staring at us. I'm so so so so so sorry. I really hope you can forgive me. I love you. Really. Can I please come over and talk to you? _

_( Hopefully still ) your boyfriend,_

_Peeta x_

I sigh and throw my head back. I wanted to believe Sophia kissed him, but I couldn't. All my anger was now replaced with sadness and doubt. But I also wanted to talk to Peeta. I wanted him to explain, and convince me. I grab a pen and bite on my bottom lip.

_Come over later._

I fold it up again and throw it back into his room. Then I close my window and turn around. I pick up the dress, that was thrown on the floor, and straighten it out and hang it up again. Then I pick up the heels and put them in the corner. Maybe somebody could fix them. I walk downstairs and sit across from Prim. "Aren't you hanging out with Liam today?" I ask, trying to distract myself. She shakes her head. "He's sick." She says and looks down with sad eyes. "He told me not to come over because he didn't want me to get sick as well. Isn't that sweet?" She says and smiles. I smile slightly and nod.

Then I talk with Prim for a while. She tells me things about Liam, and I can't help but notice her smile growing bigger and bigger every second. "You really like him, don't you?" I say. She smiles and nods. I look down and nod slightly. This wasn't good. I was happy for Prim, but I didn't want her to get hurt. What if Liam dumps her, or kisses another girl? Like Peeta?

I blink and shake my head. I shouldn't keep thinking about him. It was just making me depressed. Then the doorbell rings. I get up and walk to the door slowly. Then I sigh and open it. Peeta stands there and rubs the back of his neck nervously. He smiles slightly. "Hi." He whispers. I look down and turn around. I walk into the living room and he walks behind me. Prim sees us and smiles. "Hi Peeta!" She says. "Hi Prim. Here's your weekly dose." He says and smiles slightly. He hands her a little plastic bag and she grins. "Thanks." She says and gives him a quick hug. Then she walks out and closes the door behind her.

I turn around and look at Peeta. "Sit." I whisper. He sits down at the table and I do too, leaving one chair between us. I pinch the bridge of my nose, something I was doing often lately, and close my eyes. "She kissed you." I then say softly. He nods. "You didn't want to kiss her?" I ask. He shakes his head. "No. Of course not. Why would I _ever_ want to kiss her?" He says and looks at me with wide eyes.

I sigh. "I want to believe you, Peeta." I then whisper and look up at him. He looks down and frowns. Then he grabs one of my hands, carefully, and holds it in both of his hands. He looks into my eyes and licks his lips once before talking. "Katniss. I love you. I love you more than everything in this world. I hate Sophia, for what she said to you, and for kissing me and making this happen. And I will do _anything_ to regain your trust again." He says softly. I swallow and look down. He sounded like he really meant it. I feel my skin tingle and pull my hand back slowly. He looks down and his shoulders drop.

Then he looks up at me with pain in his eyes. "I'm sorry." He whispers and looks down again. I feel my eyes sting and bite on my bottom lip. My lip was nearly beginning to bleed, I was biting on it so hard. After a minute he looks up at me again and sighs. His thumb brushes a tear away and then lingers on my cheek. I feel more tears coming and turn my head. He swallows once and then stands up. "I suppose I better go home." He murmurs and starts walking out. I stand up as well and open the door for him. He smiles slightly and squeezes my hand once. Then he turns around and walks home. I close the door and lean against it. I look up at the ceiling and rub my eyes.

Then the phone rings. I groan and pick it up. "Hello?" I say. "Katniss? Why did Gale just tell me you and Peeta are fighting?" Finnick says with a strict voice. I roll my eyes, did everyone have to know? "We're not fighting. We're just.." I say. What were we? "We're just not best friends at the moment." I say after a few seconds. I can nearly hear Finnick roll his eyes. "Katniss.." He says. I narrow my eyes. "Just forgive the boy. Please." He says.

I look down and say nothing. After a moment Finnick sighs. "Alright then. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye, Katniss." He says and hangs up. I put down the phone and frown. It sounded like he was angry, or frustrated at least. Why? I wasn't the one who kissed someone else. Except for that time Gale kissed me. Peeta got angry as well and stormed out. He forgave me the next day though. I suddenly feel guilty. It isn't fair to be angry at Peeta. I mean, if he was telling the truth, it wasn't his fault at all. Sophia jumped on him, not the other way round. I was so confused right now. Half of me wanted to forgive Peeta, but the other half still didn't trust him.

I walk into the kitchen and Prim smiles at me. "And?" She says. I just shrug and grab a glass of water. She nods slightly. "Well that's better than wanting him to go away, at least." She then murmurs and eats another cookie. I glare at her for a second and then walk out, into the living room. I sit down and turn the tv on. I watch some stupid programs until it's dinnertime. Then I sit down and watch my mother and Prim eat, as I don't feel hungry myself at all. "Katniss, please, just eat a little bit." My mother says. I have two bites of my lasagna and then bring the plate out. They both sigh and I notice Prim is starting to look just like my mother.

I walk upstairs and glance at the window. Peeta was in his room, at his desk, probably drawing or something. I close my curtains and take my hair out of its braid. Then I take my clothes off and have a very long shower. When I come out, my hands are all wrinkly. I brush my hair and put on my pajamas. It's still too early to go to bed though. I notice Peeta's sweatshirt, thrown in the corner, and pick it up. I take a sniff and smile slightly. Then I put it on and grab my slippers as well. I walk downstairs and go outside. I sit on the bench outside. I liked sitting here when it was dark. You could see all the stars, and the moon.

A few minutes later I hear a door opening. I turn my head and see Mr. Mellark walking over to me. He stands in front of me. "Is that seat taken?" He asks and smiles, gesturing next to me. I smile slightly and shake my head. He sits down and crosses his arms. We're both silent for a while. Then he looks at me. "Is that Peeta's sweatshirt?" He asks and grins. I look down and nod slightly. He smiles and nods. "I bought him that, last year." He then says and stretches his legs a bit.

Then he turns to me. "It was very painful for me to see two of my boys get their hearts broken in less than a week. It reminded me of myself, when your mother broke up with me. It was like I was having a weird flashback." He says softly. I stare into the darkness. Had I broken Peeta's heart? Mr. Mellark looks up and looks at the stars. "That's pretty." He whispers after a minute. I nod. I hadn't said anything since he came to sit next to me. It was so silent now. No cars, or people, or anybody talking. Just the darkness, and the warmth of someone sitting next to me.

He turns his head and looks at me. "Peeta loves you. You know that, don't you?" He says softly. I look down. I knew that. I nod slightly and Mr. Mellark pats my knee. "Good. Now, I'm going back inside, because I'm freezing. Sleep tight, Katniss." He says and stands up. He walks home and closes the door behind him. I look at the stars again and wonder what Peeta's thinking at this exact moment. Had he known his father came to tell me Peeta loved me? Or was he doodling, thinking of a way to show me I could trust him?

I hear my door open. A few seconds later I feel someone wrapping a blanket around me. I turn my head and see my mother standing there with a cup of hot chocolate. She sits down next to me and hands me the cup. "Thanks." I murmur and grab the hot cup. "What did Jonathan say?" She then asks and looks over at the Mellark's house. I shrug. "That Peeta loved me. And that seeing two of his boys being heartbroken reminded him of himself when you broke up with him." I whisper. My mother looks down and swallows once.

"Why did you break up with him?" I ask after a while. She looks up at me. "I loved him. But then I met your father. I grew to love him as well. And then, when your father sung one night, I knew I wanted to be with him, and not with Jonathan. I never really lost the feelings I had for Jonathan though." She says softly. She smiles slightly and looks down again. I nod slightly. "When your father sang, even the birds stopped whistling so they could listen. He was amazing. Just like you." My mother then says and squeezes my hand softly. I sip at my hot chocolate. I remembered singing with my father as a child. His voice always shocked me.

Then my mother sighs and stands up. "Come on. Let's go inside, or you'll get a cold." She says. I stand up and we walk inside. I go upstairs and sit on my bed. My blanket falls off and I finish my hot chocolate. Then I put down my cup and turn off the lights. I lie down and pull the quilts and blanket around me. I don't even take off Peeta's sweatshirt. It feels good to have it on. It reminds me of all the good times we've had. After a while my eyes slide shut and I fall asleep.

**Author's Note: Oh my god, we have 626 reviews. That's crazy, thank you all so much! Anyway, I'm getting a load of messages from people asking me to read their fanfics. I'd love to, but I just don't have the time. I'm really busy at the moment, writing chapters for this, packing my bag for when I go on vacation, and other stuff. I might have some time when I come back from my holiday, but I'm not promising anything, sorry! **

**I'm not sure if I'll be able to upload anything tomorrow. I'll try to though. If I don't: I hope you all have a nice holiday! :) x**


	40. Chapter 40

**Author's Note: Hi guys! I have time to write another chapter, so here it is, enjoy! :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 40_

**Katniss' POV**

When my alarm clock goes off, I groan. I did get some sleep last night, but it was still not enough. I get up and turn my alarm clock off. Then I have a quick shower and put on some long trousers and a shirt with long sleeves. I walk downstairs and say good morning to Prim. She smiles as I grab some bread. I was getting a bit of an appetite again, unlike yesterday. I sit down and braid my hair before I have my breakfast. "Are you riding to school with Peeta?" Prim asks. I look up. I didn't know. Would he pick me up?

A few minutes later I hear Peeta's car honk twice. Prim smiles and I grab my bag. "Have a good day at school." I say and walk out. Peeta opens the cardoor for me and I smile slightly. "Good morning." He says and starts the car. "Morning." I murmur. I still didn't really feel like talking. It's a silent ride to school. Peeta tries to start a conversation, but I just give short answers and look away. When we get to school, we both step out and walk to our meeting place with Madge. I notice Peeta's trying to look happy, but his eyes tell me otherwise. He glances up at me and I sigh. I slide my fingers into his and he grins. "I still haven't forgiven you, you know." I murmur as he makes little patterns on the back of my hand. He nods slightly and smiles. "I know. But it's a start." He says softly.

After a while Madge walks up to us. She grins when she sees our hands. "Are you back together?" She asks happily. I look down. "She still hasn't forgiven me." Peeta says and grins slightly. Madge nods and we walk to our first class. I sit next to Madge and Peeta sits in front of me. Madge smirks at me and I raise an eyebrow. She grabs a piece of paper and I sigh. Not again.

_I knew you wouldn't be able to stay angry at him for long._

I narrow my eyes at Peeta. She was right. I was still a bit angry, but not half as angry as yesterday. I roll my eyes and give the piece of paper back without writing anything on it. Madge chuckles silently and the lesson starts. After an hour the bell rings and we all walk to the canteen. I sit down and Peeta and Madge both sit at one of my sides. Madge and Peeta talk about classes and stuff for a while, and I just chew on my sandwich slowly. Then the bell rings again and we stand up. Madge says goodbye to us and walks away. Then Peeta and I are alone again.

"Shall we sit outside? I know this little place and it has a roof so we don't get wet.." Peeta murmurs. I nod and we walk outside. I follow him around a few corners. Then we're at some bike sheds behind school. He drags me under one of the roofs and we sit down in the corner. It was raining a little bit, but like this we couldn't get wet, or cold as the wooden walls were stopping the wind. Peeta holds one of my hands a bit shyly and looks down. Then he looks up at me again.

"We're not.. well, talking, because you're still a bit angry and you don't trust me, right?" He says softly. I look down and nod slightly. He nods slightly as well and sighs. "That's why I want to give you this." He says and pulls out a little box. He opens it up and I see two little rings. I gasp. "Peeta, I'm too young to get married." I whisper. He chuckles slightly and rolls his eyes. "They're not wedding rings. They're promise rings. I was thinking, like this you might trust me again. If we both wear this, we promise we will stay together and we won't, you know, kiss other people." He says softly and rubs the back of his neck nervously.

I just stare at the rings. He grabs one and holds one of my hands. Then he looks up at me with questioning eyes. Did I want this?

Yes. I wanted this more than anything. I nod and smile. He smiles and carefully slides the ring onto my ring finger. I look at the ring. It was a small, plain, silver one. But it was beautiful. I carefully pick up the other ring and slide it onto his ring finger. Then I look up at him and sigh. "You promise you won't ever kiss anybody else as long as you're with me?" I say softly. He nods and I smile. Then I lean in and give him a kiss. His hands tangle in my hair and after a few minutes I pull back. He groans. "You will _not_ believe how much I missed that." He says softly and blushes. I chuckle and sit closer to him. He puts his arm around my shoulders and I lay my head on his shoulder.

"I love you Katniss." He says. I look up and smile. "I love you too, Peeta." I say softly. He grins and gives me a quick kiss again. Then he sighs and strokes my hair softly. We sit there in silence for a few minutes, just thinking. "What was Sophia even talking about before she kissed you?" I ask after a few minutes. He shrugs. "About how I was a brilliant dancer or something. I wasn't really listening." He says and smiles. I nod slightly and play with Peeta's fingers. He kisses the top of my head once and I look up. He looks at me with a small smile and his bright, blue eyes, and I wonder how I was ever mad at him. I put a hand on his neck and pull him closer to me so I can kiss him. He chuckles as his hands rest on my waist. We kiss for ages, until the bell rings again. We both pull back and notice it's raining really hard. Plus it's a two minute walk before we get inside again.

"Not again." Peeta says as he helps me up. We both run from under the bike shed and towards school. By the time we get to the art class, we're both soaked. We walk inside, and everyone falls silent and stares at us. Aaron and Mrs. Berry turn around and look at us. "Oh god. You can't sit down in this classroom if you're that wet.." Mrs. Berry murmurs. Aaron looks at Mrs. Berry and then winks at us. "I'll bring them to the teachers' room and give them some towels so they can dry a bit, okay?" Aaron says and walks towards us. "Alright then, but don't stay away for too long." Mrs. Berry murmurs as she turns to the rest of the class again. Aaron puts his hands on our lower backs and pushes us out of the classroom. Once he closes the door he laughs.

"Okay, what were you doing outside, and how didn't you notice that it was pouring?" He asks with a playful grin. We both chuckle and I shrug. "We were just sitting down outside because we had a free period. And then.. when we both looked around us, we noticed it was suddenly raining really hard." I say. Aaron raises his eyebrows at both of us and Peeta looks down with a grin. Aaron chuckles and leads us to the teachers' room. We hadn't ever been in there before. He opens the door and we walk in. I gasp. I had suspected the teachers' room to be a lot more.. _teacherish_. And boring.

I look around and look at the sofa's and chairs. Then I look at all the candy machines and soda's. Aaron walks over to a big closet and pulls out two towels. He throws it over to us and then pours us all a drink. We sit down on a big, red sofa, and Aaron sits next to us. Peeta wraps his arm around my waist casually and I smile. Aaron looks at both of us and then smiles. "So how long have you been together?" He asks. "About five months now." Peeta says and grins. Aaron nods slightly and smiles. It felt weird talking to Aaron like this, after all, he was still kinda a teacher. "How old are you, anyway?" I ask.

He sips his drink and then looks up at me. "19." He says and grins. "Shouldn't you be in school? Or if not, how did you even get this job? Aren't you supposed to be at least 25 or something before you can be a teacher?" Peeta asks and raises an eyebrow. Aaron chuckles. "I finished school last year. I want to be an arts teacher when I grow up, and yes, usually you have to be older to be a teacher. But as I'm Mrs. Berry's son, I'm allowed to help in her class. And I'm not really a teacher right now, only an assistant." He says. I gasp. He was Mrs. Berry's son? Aaron Berry. Come to think of it, he does look just like Mrs. Berry. How did I not see this before?

"Oh." I say. He grins and grabs a chocolate bar. He offers us one as well and we both nod. He gives us both one and I tear the wrapper. Peeta looks around. "Must be nice to be able to use the teachers' room whenever you want." He says. Aaron nods. "It's _so_ cool. On Friday they even have fries here." He says. I gasp. The teachers got fries on Fridays? That was so unfair! Aaron chuckles and takes a bite from his bar. I look down at mine and notice there's a big bite taken from it. I look next to me and see Peeta chewing some chocolate with an innocent face. I look at his chocolate bar and see he hasn't touched it yet. I slap his arm softly and Aaron laughs. Peeta grins and gives me a small kiss on the cheek.

We talk with Aaron for a while, and dry in the meantime. After another twenty minutes Aaron stands up. "We better get back, we've been gone for half an hour or something." He says. We put the towels back and throw away the wrappers. Then we walk back to arts class. Mrs. Berry turns around and sighs. "Half an hour, Aaron? Did it really take that long?" She says in a strict voice. Aaron grins and nods. She sighs and turns around again. "Peeta, Katy, you'll just have to doodle for a few minutes, you don't have time to make a whole painting like the others." She then says. Peeta laughs and I roll my eyes. "Mrs. Berry, it's Katniss. Not Katy." I say. "Oh. Okay." She says and smiles slightly. We walk to our seats in the back and Peeta grins.

"How are you, Katy?" He asks. I slap his arm softly and he chuckles. "Shut up, Peter." I say and smirk. He rolls his eyes and I chuckle. We both grab a piece of paper and I start drawing random little houses and people. Peeta's hand slides under the table and lands on one of my legs. I freeze and his hand travels up and goes around my waist. Then his other hand tugs at my chair, pulling it closer to his. When my chair is right next to his, his arm wraps around my waist. I look up at him and raise my eyebrows, but he just looks around him, grinning. I roll my eyes and lean into him a bit. He smiles and kisses the top of my head. We doodle for another ten minutes, and Peeta draws a cartoon version of me, with a bow and arrow, and a head which is ten times bigger than the rest of my body. I laugh as he writes '_I love Peeta Mellark!_' in a speech bubble above my head. The bell rings and I give him a quick kiss.

We go to our next class, and Peeta stops outside of the door. He wraps his arms around my waist and gives me a quick kiss. "I'll see you later." He says and smiles. Then he turns around and walks to his own class. I walk inside and sit next to Madge. I smile at her and she smiles back. "So everything's okay between you and Peeta?" She asks. I grin and nod. Everything was fine. I grab my books and put them on the table. Then Madge drops a pencil, so I bend down and pick it up for her. I hand it back to her and she smiles. "Thank y-" She freezes and stares at my hand. I look down and see my ring. Madge looks up at me and her jaw drops. "You're engaged?" She yells. I laugh and shake my head.

"My god, Madge, no way. It's a promise ring." I say and explain that as long as we're both wearing this, we promise to stay together and stuff. "Aaaw!" She says and grabs my hand. She pulls it closer to her face and examines all sides. "Can I take it off for a second?" She asks. "Fine, but only for a second. I don't want to lose it." I say as she wriggles it off of my finger. She looks at the insides and bites on her bottom lip and looks up at me again with jealous eyes. "Have you seen what it says inside?" She asks.

I frown and grab the ring. I hold it up to my face and look at what's engraved inside.

_I love you, always._

I put the ring down and smile. Madge smiles as well and pats my shoulder. "You're lucky to have him." She says before the teacher walks back in. I put the ring back on and turn around to listen to the teacher. I was lucky. _Very _lucky. After a few long, boring lessons, the final bell finally rings. I walk to my locker with Madge and give Peeta a quick kiss. Then we say goodbye to Madge and get into Peeta's car. "Wanna hang out?" He asks. "Yep." I say and smile. He chuckles and we drive to his house. After a few minutes he parks the car and opens the front door. We walk inside and Mr. Mellark looks up from the table. He smiles when he sees our entwined hands. "Hi Peeta, Katniss." He says and grins. We both smile and say hello. Then Peeta and I grab a cookie and go upstairs.

He closes the door behind him and walks over to me slowly. He puts his hands on my waist and kisses my jaw. "I think we should make up for the kisses we missed out on yesterday." He then whispers huskily. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him on the lips. I can feel him smile into the kiss. Our breathing becomes heavier and he hitches my legs up, around his waist. His hands rest on my butt as he walks us over to the bed and lies down with me on top of him. My hands tangle in his hair as he starts tugging at my shirt.

Suddenly the door opens and Rye walks in. We both lean back with red cheeks and messy hair and glare at him. "For god's sake, Rye, this is the second time. Don't you know how to knock?" Peeta says and lifts me off of him gently. Rye laughs and shakes his head. We roll our eyes as Rye starts rummaging through Peeta's closet. He grabs some black pants and then walks out again, without saying anything. Peeta closes the door and sighs. "If they keep grabbing my stuff I wont have any clothes left soon." He murmurs and walks over to his desk. He grabs a load of scrunched up papers and throws them into the bin.

"What are you throwing away?" I ask and stand up. I walk over to the desk and pick one of them up. I straighten it out and look at a drawing of myself. He blushes slightly and I raise my eyebrows. "I missed you." He says softly. I wrap my arms around his waist and give him a hug. He smiles and gives me a small kiss. We talk for a while, until I have to go home for dinner. He walks me home and we stop on my porch. He squeezes my hands softly and looks at my ring for a moment. Then he looks up at me and blushes.

"Rings look good on you." He says softly and then looks down again. What did he mean with that? "Thank you." I say softly, twisting the ring a bit. He smiles and gives me a long kiss. Then he leans back. "See you tomorrow." He says and walks away. I wave at him and walk inside. My mother and Prim are in the kitchen, making dinner. I walk up to them and say hello. Then I help them with dinner and lay the table. We all sit down and dig in. "So what did you do with Liam today?" My mother asks Prim. She smiles and looks at the wall with a dreamy look on her face. "We talked and stuff." She says. My mother rolls her eyes and I chuckle. Then my mother looks at me.

"Did you forgive Peeta?" She asks. I nod and she frowns. "Really? Since when do you forgive people so quick?" She asks. I roll my eyes. "Peeta isn't just 'some person'. I couldn't stay mad at him." I say softly. "Aaw." Prim says. My mother just rolls her eyes again and we chuckle. Then my mother drops her fork and looks at me in horror. "Katniss, you are not getting engaged, I won't allow it!" She says loudly with panicked eyes, staring at my ring. Prim looks at my ring as well and gasps. "Relax, I'm not getting engaged or married. This is a promise ring." I say and smile. Prim grabs my hand and examine the ring, just like Madge did. My mother sighs and puts her hand on her heart. "Thank god." She whispers and picks up her fork again.

I laugh and shake my head. Prim's little fingers wriggle the ring off of my finger and examine the insides. Do all girls react like this when someone else gets a ring? She reads the inside and looks up at me again. "Aaaaaw!" She says. My mother narrows her eyes. "What?" Prim hands her the ring and my mother looks at the inside. Then she smiles slightly and gives the ring back to me. I slide it onto my finger again and smile. We talk for another while and finish our dinner, and then wash up together. When I walk back into the living room, the phone goes. I pick it up and say hello.

"Katniss, what does the ring look like?" Annie squeals. I laugh and sit down. "Hi Annie." I say. She chuckles. "Hi. Finnick told me that Gale told him that Madge told her that Peeta gave you a promise ring." She says quickly. I chuckle and shake my head. "He did." I say. She squeals. "What does it look like?" She says. I look at the ring and smile. "It's small, silver, and quite plain. But it's beautiful. And on the inside it says: _I love you, always_." I say. "Aaaaw!" Annie says. I chuckle, that was the third time someone said 'aaw' after hearing or seeing what it said on the inside.

Annie enthusiastically talks about a few stuff for a while, including the fact that they'll be coming over in four and a half weeks. "I can't wait!" She says. I can't either, I really missed them. Gale, with his red cheeks whenever Madge gave him a kiss on the cheek, Finnick with his sugarcubes and silly dances, and Annie with her never-fading smile and colorful dresses.

**Madge's POV**

"Hello?" He says. "Hi Gale." I say. "Hi Madge. How are you?" "I'm fine, you?" "I'm doing fine. Looking at promise rings." He jokes. I laugh. "So, 32 days." I say. "Yep. I can't wait." He says. Then we talk about what we did today, even if we already know because we text each other all day. "I miss you." I say after a while. My father walks past the door and happens to hear what I said. He raises his eyebrows at me, with a slight smirk. I roll my eyes and blush. Then I stand up and close the door.

"I miss you too." He says softly. I fall onto my bed and smile. We talk for a while. Well, we talk for an hour. It always went so fast. It felt like we only talked for a few minutes. After an hour I sigh. "Anyway, I better go, my dad keeps moaning that I'm always on the phone for too long. I'll text you." I say. He chuckles and says goodbye. "Love you, Madge." "Love you too, Gale." I say and put down the phone. The words were so familiar. _Love you, Gale_. I said it daily. And I'm glad I could.

I have a quick shower and ask one of the cleaners if they can leave my room. I put on my pajamas and put off the big light, and put the small one next to my bed on. I lie under the covers and grab my mobile to turn it off. I notice I have one new message.

_Sleep tight x_

I smile and turn my phone off. Then I turn off the small light as well and lay my head on the big, fluffy pillow. Another boring day of school tomorrow, ugh. I really wished I could just fast forward until Gale, Finnick and Annie are here. Gale told me that on the second day he was taking me on a date, and he didn't care if the others had already planned something. I smile and close my eyes. I had a great boyfriend.

**Author's Note: Hola, sorry it isn't very long, I'm just really busy at the moment. I would like to thank everyone for reviewing, as we now have over 650 reviews. Like, _what_, two chapters ago we didn't have more than 600. For the person who asked, I will be on vacation for 16 days. I'll be back on Friday the 3rd _(I think)_, so the next update will probably be on Saturday the 4th! I hope you all have a great holiday!**

**P.S.: I'm so terrified that they're going to announce a load of casting news while I'm gone, argh. Okay, anyway, bye! :)**


	41. Chapter 41

**Author's Note: You guys better love me for updating two days early. Nah, I'm only kidding.**

**HI GUYS! I actually really missed you. Seriously, I missed getting nice reviews and sweet PM's. But anyway, I'm back now, a day earlier than I thought I would. I'd just like to thank everyone for the reviews, and a big thank you to everyone who wished me to have a nice holiday! Cause I did! :) Someone asked where I went, well, I went to Ireland. I have a load of family there, and we just had a load of fun, even though the weather was kinda crappy most of the time. I hope you've all had a fun summer so far as well.**

**Okay, here's the next chapter you've been patiently waiting for. (well, some of you, others would be begging me to update, looking like they're having mental breakdowns, hehe.) **

**It's actually really freaky to see the amount of follower's this story has. 340. 340 people are sitting behind their computers, waiting for my next update. I feel a bit.. powerful. And scared. It's like 340 people, from all of the world are silently judging me as they see another mistake in the chapter, or something stupid happens. _"Oh, you're letting them argue again. Okay." "You wrote that absolutely wrong." "It's they're, not their." "Why are you letting this happen." "This is one shit story." _How scary would it be if people actually thought that while reading my story. **

**Okay what the hell I just wrote a really long Author's Note, I'm sorry for wasting your time, I just feel really hyper, I've been up since 4 o'clock this morning and I don't know what's happening to me right now. Um, here it is, enjoy! :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 41_

**Katniss' POV**

_Beep, beep, beep_. I slap the alarm clock a few times until I hit the right button and it turns off. I groan and turn around. After a few seconds I get up and have a quick shower. It was supposed to be a rainy day again today. _Great_. I put on a shirt with long sleeves and a pair of jeans. Then I braid my hair and walk downstairs.

"Prim, you're going to catch a cold." I say as I walk past her. She looks down at her skirt and rolls her eyes.

"And a good morning to you, too." She says and takes a bite of her sandwich. I chuckle and grab some breakfast as well. Then I look at the window and see it's already raining heavily. Prim sighs and goes upstairs. A few minutes later she comes back, wearing long pants and a different t-shirt.

"That's better." I smile and pat her head. She chuckles and pushes my arm away playfully. Then someone knocks on the door. I grab my bag and put on my coat, and give Prim a quick kiss on the top of her head. "Learn stuff." I say as I walk out. She laughs and says "I'll try." I chuckle and open the front door. I see Peeta standing in front of me with an umbrella.

"Good morning." He says and grins. I step under the umbrella with him and close the door behind me. "Good morning. You didn't have to, you know, escort me to the car with an umbrella and everything." I say as we hop in. He chuckles and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "I know, I'm just very thoughtful." He says and grins at me. I laugh and roll my eyes. Then we ride to school. After a few minutes we're there. Peeta grabs the umbrella again and puts an arm around my waist. Then we walk to our meeting-place with Madge.

About five minutes later she comes running up to us and stands underneath the umbrella with us. She takes a deep breath and and squeezes out her hair. Peeta and I look at each other and chuckle. "Hi Madge." I say. She looks up at us and rolls her eyes.

"Hi." She murmurs and shakes her arms, splattering both of us with water. Peeta's face scrunches up and I laugh. Then we all walk to the lockers together, trying to all fit under one small umbrella. When we finally get inside, we all sigh and open our lockers. We grab our books and then walk to our class. We walk inside and sit down. This was quite a regular, boring day so far. I sigh again and put down my bag. Then I lay my head on the table and watch Peeta grab his books out of his bag. He puts them on the table and then starts fiddling with a pen. He frowns and tries to push down the top so he can write something. Then the pen cracks and the top half just falls off. Peeta freezes and just stares at it. Then he puts it on Madge's table and whispers, "Your pen just died, I'm sorry."

I laugh silently as Madge glares at him and then puts the pen in her bag. Peeta chuckles and the teacher starts talking. We all turn around and I rest my head on my arms. After a few minutes I feel my eyes droop a bit. I put my head on the table again and close my eyes. I'd just rest for a few seconds.

The next thing I know, I open my eyes and Madge and Peeta are standing in front of my table, laughing. I sit up straight and look around. Where was everyone?

"Good morning." Madge says. They both start laughing again and I frown. Had I fallen asleep? Peeta seems to know exactly what I'm thinking and nods. "And the teacher didn't even notice." He then says and shakes his head slightly. I get up and shove my books into my bag quickly. Then we walk to the canteen and I sit down.

"You looked so adorable." Peeta says as he sits down next to me. I roll my eyes and Madge laughs. "Next time I fall asleep in class, could you wake me up?" I ask and look at both of them. They chuckle and nod. I smile and take a bite from my sandwich. After a few minutes of Peeta and Madge arguing about the color of some actor's eyes, the bell finally rings. I stand up and drag Peeta with me.

"They're light brown, not hazel!" Peeta yells at Madge before we walk around the corner. I hear Madge yell something back but I just roll my eyes. We walk around a few corners until we see an empty hallway and some stairs. I sit down on the stairs and Peeta sits next to me. He wraps one arm around my waist and I lay my head on his shoulder.

"My mom thought the ring was an engagement ring. She nearly choked." I say after a while. Peeta chuckles and slides his fingers into mine, pulling my hand closer to his face to look at it. Then he kisses my hand once and drops it again. I give him a small kiss on the cheek and then rest my head in the crook of his neck. He twirls my braid around a bit and then puts both arms around my shoulders.

"By the way, I like what you wrote on the inside." I say. He kisses the top of my head once and then smiles at me. "You noticed it?" He asks. I nod and smile. "It's really sweet." I say softly and stare into his eyes. He grins and then leans in to give me a kiss. I rest a hand on his cheek and he wraps his arms around my waist. After a few seconds I pull back and he pouts. "We're at school, Peeta. I'll make out with you later." I say softly. He laughs and grins smugly. I chuckle and lay my head on his shoulder again.

We talk for a while, until the bell rings again. Peeta walks me to my class and then gives me a quick kiss. "I'll see you at P.E." I say as he starts to walk away. He turns around and looks at me. "Not if I see you first." He then says and wiggles his eyebrows. I laugh and he turns around and walks away. I walk into my classroom and sit down, shaking my head slightly. I have one silly boyfriend. The teacher starts talking and I just zone out again, and think about different things. After an hour the bell rings and I walk to the changing rooms to put on my sweatpants and a different t-shirt. I find Madge in there as well, and when we're both finished we walk out and into the big room filled with footballs, ropes, hockey sticks, tennis rackets, and every other thing you can possibly think of.

I see Peeta in the back of the room, keeping up a football with his knees. Then he balances it onto his head, and on his back. Then he swiftly turns around and catches the ball with one of his feet. "Wow." Madge says. I grin and watch as Peeta looks around. Then he sees us and waves us over. We walk over to him and he gives me a kiss on the cheek. "You're amazing." I say and look at the football he had been playing with a few seconds ago. He blushes slightly and smiles. "Thanks." He says and slides his fingers into mine. Then the teacher walks in and blows on a whistle.

"Alright, just find something to do and don't injure anybody." She says loudly and then sits down again. We all chuckle and Madge and I walk over to some jump ropes. We start jumping, and I keep going quicker and quicker. I was quite good at this. After about ten minutes I stop and sigh. I run a hand through my hair and see Peeta staring at me from across the room. I raise an eyebrow and he blinks. Then he chuckles and turns around again, shaking his head slightly with a big grin on his face. Madge and I talk a bit, and kick a ball at each other, until I feel two arms around my waist.

"Peeta. We're at school." I say as he starts kissing my jaw. Madge chuckles and Peeta sighs and rolls his eyes. "You won't let me have _any_ fun, will you?" He says and picks up a jump rope. I chuckle and roll my eyes. He starts jumping quickly and I raise my eyebrows. Then he only jumps on one foot, going quicker and quicker all the time. Then he makes small circles. I roll my eyes.

"You're such a show off." I say playfully. He stops jumping and raises an eyebrow. Then he puts the jump rope around me and pulls me close to him. He puts his forehead against mine and smirks at me. "Oh, am I?" He says softly. I glance at his lips and he smirks even wider. Oh, what the hell. Most people had seen us make out already anyway. I push my lips against his roughly and feel him grin. He puts his hands on my waist and I rest my hands on his arms.

"Ugh, guys, come on. You're in the middle of the room. Everyone can see you." Madge says. Peeta gestures for her to go away and I chuckle. I can't see Madge, but I can nearly hear her roll her eyes. Then I hear her walk away as Peeta pushes me against a wall gently.

**Madge's POV**

Peeta pushes her against the wall and I chuckle. They really didn't care if anybody saw them. I see two or three people looking at them with disgusted, but amused faces. I start kicking a ball against a wall and watch as Peeta and Katniss get more intimate. Katniss' hands are running through Peeta's hair, tugging at it slightly, and Peeta's hands are slowly sliding down her waist, on to her legs. After two minutes he picks her up and hitches her legs around his waist. I snort and shake my head. The teacher looks up from her mobile and sees them making out. She blows her whistle and everyone's heads turn to look at her.

"Mellark, Everdeen, come here please." She says loudly. Everyone stares at them as Peeta puts Katniss down slowly. They both walk to the teacher with dark red faces. I smirk at them as they walk past me. The whole class is silent, waiting for what the teacher will say. They both stand in front of her and look at their feet.

"You do know that there's a rule which says 'no kissing at school'?" She then says and raises an eyebrow. Their cheeks turn even darker, which I didn't even know was possible, and a few people chuckle softly. Peeta looks up at the teacher with his _I'm-sorry-eyes_.

"I'm terribly sorry miss, I didn't know that was an actual rule." He says. I notice he's trying his best not to laugh. I see the corner of his mouth go up ever so slightly and chuckle.

"Did you think it was normal to just make out during P.E.?" The teacher asks. Peeta gasps and shakes his head. "Of course not. It's, just, we, um, yeah, you know.." He says and murmurs the last part. I see Katniss bite on her bottom lip and shake from laughter a bit.

"Detention. Both of you." The teacher says and blows on her whistle again.

"But miss-"

"Detention."

"But-"

"_De-_"

"We didn't-"

"_ten-_"

"know-"

"_tion_."

Peeta frowns and sighs. Then everyone turns around and starts talking and sporting again. I walk up to Peeta and Katniss and laugh. Katniss punches Peeta's arm softly and rolls her eyes. "This is your fault." She says. He gasps and throws his hands in the air.

"What did I do?!" He says loudly.

"Showing off and seducing me into kissing you." Katniss says and glares at him.

Peeta snorts. "I wasn't showing off or trying to seduce you. I just can't help that I'm so amazing. So it's not my fault." He says and grins. Katniss snorts and rolls her eyes again. Then she turns around and walks away. Peeta glances at the teacher and then runs after her. He turns her around and gives her a kiss. After five seconds he pulls away and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry for.. _seducing_ you." He says and smirks. She chuckles and gives him a kiss on the cheek. Then she turns to me and slaps my arm softly. "I saw you laughing." She says and glares at me.

"Yep, you did." I say and grin. Peeta laughs and Katniss just shakes her head slightly. Then we just sport for another ten minutes until we're allowed to leave. Katniss and I walk to the changing rooms and put on our normal clothes. I grab my bag and pull out my mobile.

_Hellooo. What's up? x_

I smile and Katniss just raises an eyebrow. "Why are you smiling at your mobile?" She then asks slowly, as if I'm mental or something. I explain that Gale just texted me. She says "Oh. Okay then." I look at my mobile again and text something back.

_Just had P.E., it was hilarious. Katniss and Peeta were making out in the middle of the room and then the teacher saw and now they've got detention. How 'bout you? x _

Katniss looks over my shoulder and sees what I texted him. "Hey, it wasn't hilarious!" She says and pushes my arm softly. I chuckle and say it was, and she just rolls her eyes and blushes a bit.

**Katniss' POV**

That was _so_ embarrassing. Why did I decide to make out with Peeta? Ugh. Stupid teenage hormones. Madge and I grab our bags and walk out. We find Peeta waiting for us. He sees us and smiles. Then he grabs my hand and we all walk to our next classes. They go by quickly, and before I know it, we're saying goodbye to Madge.

"Have fun at detention!" Madge says and smirks at us. I glare at her and she laughs and walks away. Peeta and I turn around and walk to the classroom. We walk in and notice it's completely empty, except for some big teacher sitting at the desk. He looks up at us and lowers his glasses. "Mellark and Everdeen?" He asks. We both nod. He looks down again and turns a page of his book. "Sit." He says. We both look at each other and then sit down.

He looks up again and shakes his head. "Not next to each other. You, blonde-boy, go and sit over there." The teacher says and points at one of the seats at the other side of the classroom.

"You can call me Peeta if you want.." Peeta murmurs soft enough, so only I can hear. I chuckle silently and watch him sit down at the other table. Our teacher stands up and closes the door. Then he turns around and sits on his desk. "You will stay here for an hour, in complete silence. No talking, eating, playing, or messaging on another on your little cellphones, or whatever those things are that you kids have nowadays." He says. I roll my eyes and smile at Peeta. He smiles back and the teacher whips a ruler off the desk. Our heads snap up and he narrows his eyes at us.

"No smiling, or making contact either." He says. Peeta sighs and I rest my head on one of my hands.

"Sir, am I allowed to-" Peeta asks, but is rudely interrupted by the teacher.

"I said, _no talking_." Peeta rolls his eyes and grabs a notebook and a pencil out of his bag. He starts drawing and I look at all of the posters that were hanging in the classroom. They were so corny. They had things like '_Learning is fun!'_ on them, and then a picture of two 'happy' kids with books in their hands. I cough once and the teachers head snaps up. He glares at me for a moment. "Sorry.." I murmur as I stretch my back. He puts a finger to his lips and then turns another page in his book.

I lay my head on the table and watch the clock. It was like it was going slower every second. It would take ages before we could go home. Ugh. I turn my head and stare at Peeta. He was concentrating on his drawing. He looked so adorable, his tongue was sticking out slightly and his eyebrows were furrowed. I grab my notebook and a black marker. I write _YOU LOOK REALLY CUTE_ in big letters and then hold it up. But he doesn't look.

"Psst." I say as loud as I can without the teacher noticing. Peeta looks up and raises an eyebrow. I hold up my notebook and he reads what it says. Then he blushes and smiles shyly. Aaw. I smile and put my notebook down again. He mouths 'thank you' and grins. I pick up my marker again.

_WHAT ARE YOU DRAWING?_

I hold it up and he reads it. Then he picks up his notebook and grins. I look at the drawing and gasp. It was Madge and I at P.E., kicking a ball. I write _THAT'S AMAZING _and he smiles. He mouths 'thank you' again and then starts drawing. I start doodling little people for what seems like forever, until the teacher stands up.

"I will be gone for one minute. Say one word and you'll both get detention for the whole month." He says. Peeta pretends to lock his mouth and I have to put my hand on my mouth to prevent myself from laughing. The teacher glares at him for a second and then walks out, closing the door behind me. Peeta runs over to me and smiles. Then he sits on my table and looks at my doodles. "Impressive." He jokes and smiles. I chuckle. He puts both hands on my cheeks and leans in for a kiss. After a minute we hear footsteps, so Peeta runs back to his seat and pretends nothing happened.

The teacher walks in and looks at both of u with suspicious eyes. "What's with your cheeks?" He then asks and narrows his eyes at both of us. Oh shit, I forgot that our cheeks go red when we kiss. "I'd tell you, but I'm not allowed to talk." Peeta says. I nearly burst out laughing and the teacher walks over to him slowly.

"You're very rude, Everdeen." He says. Peeta chuckles softly. "I'm Mellark. She's Everdeen." He says and points at me. The teacher just rolls his eyes and walks back to his desk. Peeta mouths something at me, but I don't understand him. _What?_ I mouth. He grins mischievously and writes something in his notebook. Then he holds it up and I feel my cheeks go red.

_For now, anyway._

He sees my blush and grins. I just look the other way and smile. _For now_. In other words, one day, I'd be a Mellark. The thought actually makes me quite happy, which scares me. I didn't want to get married. When my father had died, I had promised myself that I wouldn't get married. So why did the thought of me being Katniss Mellark make me happy?

The hour goes by excruciatingly slowly. When the bell finally rings we both jump out of our seats. "Nice to meet you, sir!" Peeta says to the teacher before he closes the door behind us. I laugh and slap his arm softly. He chuckles and wraps his arm around my shoulders as we walk to the car. We get in and drive home. "My house?" I ask. He nods and parks the car. Then we get out and walk inside. I close the door behind us, when a small child with dark curly hair comes walking out to us, a bit unsteadily. Peeta drops his bag and kneels down.

"Hi little guy. What's your name?" He asks with a sweet voice. I smile as the child looks around. Then Prim and Rue come walking into the hallway. "Hi guys." I say and smile. They say hello as Peeta just stares at the child with a small smile on his face. "This," Rue says and picks the little boy up, "is my little brother. He's called Marcus." She says and smiles. The little boy smiles as well and hides his face in Rue's neck.

"He's a bit shy." She says and puts the boy down again. The boy walks over to Peeta and then stares up at him. "Mawcus." He then says. Peeta grins and shakes his hand. "Hi Marcus. I'm Peeta." He says. The boy smiles and then turns around and walks into the living room. Rue looks at him and then turns to Peeta.

"He must like you. He's never that friendly to people he just met." She says. Peeta smiles and walks into the living room behind him. We chuckle and I put down my bag. Then I walk into the living room and sit next to Peeta, who's turned away from me, all attention going to Marcus. Marcus grabs a toy car and gives it to Peeta.

"What's this?" Peeta asks. "Toy caw. Wue got it fow me." He says and grins. We all chuckle and Rue shrugs slightly. "He can't really pronounce r's." She says. Then Prim and Rue go into the kitchen and Peeta sits on the ground with Marcus. "Do you like cars?" He asks. Marcus nods happily. "I have thwee, one blue one, and a gween one, and this one." He says matter-of-factly. Peeta gasps. "Really? That's so cool!" He says and smiles. Marcus grins happily. Wow. Peeta was good with kids.

"Do you have any caws?" Marcus asks. Peeta chuckles. "I have one. It's quite big, and blue." He says and smiles. I chuckle and Marcus nods slightly. Then Marcus holds up his thumb, right in front of Peeta's face.

"I gwabbed some papew and it huwted me." He then says and pouts. Peeta grabs the little hand and examines it. I could see a little paper cut. Peeta puts Marcus' hand down and puts his hands on Marcus' shoulders.

"You know what would make that better?"

"What?"

"Cookies." Peeta says and stands up. Marcus grins and claps his hands. A few seconds later Peeta comes back with two cookies, one for Marcus and one for himself. Marcus grins and happily eats his cookie. I clear my throat. Peeta turns around and looks at me. "What?" He asks and chews on his cookie. I look at his cookie and he follows my glaze. Then he swallows and looks up at me again with wide eyes.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, do you want one?" He asks and tries to stand up. "No, no, I'm fine, sit down." I say and chuckle. He smiles and turns to Marcus again. I stand up and walk into the kitchen. Before I open the kitchen door, I softly hear Prim and Rue talking.

"He sang for me again. It was _so_ cute." I hear Prim say. I chuckle and walk in. Prim turns around and blushes when she sees my smirk. I grab a cookie and then walk out again, but before I close the door behind me, I say one thing. "Bakers and painters are cuter than singers." I close the door and hear Rue laugh and Prim snort. I walk back into the living room and find Peeta tickling Marcus. Marcus was lying on the floor, laughing so hard I was amazed so much sound could come from such a small body. Then Peeta stops and Marcus sighs happily. Peeta has the cutest smile on his face. It's a small, sweet smile.

Then Peeta picks Marcus up and puts him on the sofa next to me. Marcus looks up at me with wide eyes. Then he looks at Peeta, who sits down next to him. Marcus slides over to Peeta's side a bit and just stares at me. "Hi." I say. Marcus looks at Peeta and then looks back at me again. Peeta chuckles and pats Marcus' head. I smile and then look up at Peeta. "Peeta?" I ask.

"Yes?"

Before I can say anything else, Marcus is pulling at Peeta's sleeve, and Peeta's forgotten about me again. I sigh and turn on the television as Marcus asks Peeta if he can get him a juice box. Peeta jumps up and comes back with a small juice box two seconds later. He puts the straw in it and then hands it to Marcus. "Thank you Peeta." Marcus says.

Peeta looks up at me with wide eyes and his mouth slightly opened. He stares at me with a look that says 'aaaaaw'. Then he bites his bottom lip and smiles happily. "You're welcome Marcus." He says and ruffles his little curls. Marcus grins and sips at his juice box. Peeta grabs the remote and changes channel until he stops at a cartoon. Marcus claps his hands happily and Peeta grins. I sigh and run a hand through my hair.

Then Marcus and Peeta have a conversation about the 'bad guy'.

"No, he isn't a bad guy, he's just misunderstood. You'd be mean and cranky too if your girlfriend just broke up with you." Peeta says.

"Eeew! I don't have a girlfriend! Girls are yucky!" Marcus yells. Peeta laughs and nods. "I know, I know." He says. I glare at him and then roll my eyes. After twenty minutes Rue and Prim walk back in.

"We gotta go home." Rue says and starts picking up all of Marcus' toys. Peeta pouts slightly and then walks them to the door. "Bye Marcus." He says and kneels down. Marcus grins and waves at him. Then Rue says goodbye to us and Prim and they leave. Peeta walks back into the living room with a happy smile and sits down on the sofa.

"He was so _adorable_." He then says. I nod slightly and change channel. He looks at me and frowns slightly. "What's wrong?" He asks. I look at him and narrow my eyes slightly. "Nothing." I say and change channel again.

Then Peeta's jaw drops. "You're jealous because I was giving all my attention to Marcus instead of you." He then says in disbelief. My head snaps up and I glare at him.

"No I am not."

"Yes you are."

"Not. I'm not jealous."

"I can't believe you're jealous because I was playing with a little kid and forgot to give you a cookie."

"..You also said girls were yucky." I say.

He looks at me and starts laughing. I roll my eyes and walk out. I walk upstairs and he follows me. He closes the door behind us and then walks over to me slowly. He puts one hand on my waist and the other on my right cheek.

"Stop being silly. You know I love you." He says softly and puts his forehead against mine. Then he stares into my eyes and I sigh. He grins and gives me a quick kiss.

"So how about that make-out-session you promised me earlier?" He then says with a mischievous grin. He doesn't wait for an answer. He just picks me up and lies me down on the bed. Then he lies next to me and rolls us over so I'm on top of him.

"You know," I murmur as he kisses down my jaw, tugging at my shirt, "you'd be an amazing father. Really." He stops kissing me for a moment and smiles at me. "Thanks." He then says and brushes my cheek. He starts kissing me again and kicks his shoes off. I kick my shoes off as well and he tugs my shirt over my head. "Since when do you have to be naked to make out?" I say. He chuckles and throws my shirt onto the ground. I pull his shirt over his head roughly and smile into our kiss. Then his hands slide under my pants and push them down gently. He squeezes my bum while doing it and I chuckle. He smiles and pushes the pants down to my ankles. I wriggle my legs a bit until my pants are on the floor as well.

Then Peeta turns us around swiftly and I unbuckle his belt. I pull down his pants and he kicks them off as well. Then he turns us around again as one of his hands takes my hair out of its braid. My hair falls in his face and he chuckles. Then his hands rest on my waist and don't even touch my bra. After about an hour of making out, he leans back and grins at me.

I rest my head on his chest and he wraps his arms around me and squeezes me. After a minute I look up and smile at him. I brush the hair out of his eyes and then sit up straight. I start braiding my hair and then turn to him. "You didn't even attempt to take off my bra. Is the clasp to complicated for you?" I tease. He chuckles and rolls his eyes.

"No, I was thinking ahead. If we had both gotten naked, we might have not been able to stop ourselves, and as you don't have a little blue box, that wouldn't have been very handy." He says and grins smugly. "I better get a blue box soon then." I say, just to wind him up and make him blush. His jaw drops slightly and he looks at me with wide eyes and dark red cheeks. I laugh and give him a quick kiss. Then I stand up and put my clothes back on. Peeta does the same and then looks at the clock and sighs.

"Gotta go home." He says and walks past me, pinching my butt as he does. He looks back and grins mischievously. I chuckle and push him out of the room. We walk downstairs and onto my porch. He wraps his arms around my waist and gives me a quick kiss. "That was an amazing make-out-session. We should do that more often. At my house. On my bed." He says and grins mischievously again. I blush and roll my eyes. He chuckles and gives me one last kiss. He walks away and waves at me before he goes back in.

I walk inside and make some dinner with Prim. Then we sit down and I smirk at her. "So what did he sing?" I ask. She freezes and her cheeks turn red. "Who?" She asks innocently. "Your singing boyfriend, who else?" I say and roll my eyes. She glances up at me with a big smile.

"It was this song his father wrote for his mother. It's really pretty. And you know, when he sings, he just looks into my eyes the whole time, and he plays guitar and he's just so-" She says quickly and then sighs and looks down. "Amazing." I say softly. She blushes and nods slightly. I chuckle and finish my dinner. Then I wash up and watch some tv with Prim for two hours. Then I start getting tired and go upstairs. I have a quick shower and then put on some warm, woolly pajamas. I get into bed and turn off the lights.

I can hear the rain fall against the windows softly, and Buttercup walking around the house somewhere. It's quite relaxing, the sound of the rain. In less than five minutes I feel my eyes droop and fall asleep almost instantly.

**Author's Note: SOMEONE WAS CAST FOR MAGS. HER NAME IS LYNN COHEN.**

**And and and, Josh Hutcherson bleached his hair. He looks _so_ bloody adorable. Okay, but, anyway, I hope you all liked the chapter. The next chapter will probably be up by tomorrow! :)**

**Oh and by the way, on vacation I read _The Fault In Our Stars_ by John Green. It was fucking amazing. Best book I've read since I finished Mockingjay. Like, seriously, if you want to read something, read that. You won't regret it.**

**Okay, um, thanks for reading! :)**


	42. Chapter 42

**I can't believe I uploaded Chapter 41 instead of 42. I just slapped my forehead really hard and my mom looked at me, and she was like: "Why did you just slap yourself?"**

**"Because I just did something really stupid."**

**"Do you want to talk about it?"**

**"Not really."**

**".. Okay. Turn off the laptop anyway, it's getting really late."**

**"I can't, I have to change something."**

**"Just turn it off. _Now__._"**

**"But Mom, you don't understand, 345 people are counting on me!"**

**"..."**

**"..."**

**"How do you know 345 people, and why are they counting on you?"**

**".. I was talking about.. you know, anyway goodnight, it is getting late isn't it." *grabs laptop and runs into bedroom***

**Yeah, um, my mom doesn't know I write fanfiction. No one does, actually, except for you guys. So you should feel pretty honored. **

**ANYWAY, here's the real chapter 42.**

* * *

**Author's Note: Hi! The story has over 700 reviews, oh my god. _Thank you all __so__ much. _You're the best readers an author could have. Anyway, I'm not gonna bore you all with another long author's note; here's chapter 42!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 42_

**Katniss' POV**

The week goes by slowly. Nothing special happens, except for the fact that Madge has told me about twenty times already that Gale's taking her on a date when they come over, and Peeta talking about how adorable little kids are. Before I know it, it's Saturday morning, and I finally wake up without an alarm clock again. That's really such an amazing feeling. I smile and roll over. I open my eyes and look at the clock. 11 o'clock. I must have been tired. I sit up and stretch my back. Then I notice it's still raining. It had been raining non-stop for the past week. But only in District 12, of course. All of the other Districts had had just a little bit of rain so now and then, and District 4, 6 and 1 even had sun most of the time. Ugh. Stupid sunny Districts.

I get up and have a nice, warm shower. Then I get out and put on some jeans and a t-shirt. I braid my hair and walk downstairs. "Morning." I say as I walk past my mother and Prim. They smile and say good morning. I grab one of the cheese buns Peeta had made for us yesterday and sit down. I notice Prim's hair is done in a nice braid, and she's wearing one of her favorite skirts. She sees me glancing at her clothes and smiles.

"Liam's taking me to the cinema." She says softly and blushes. I smile and take a bite from my cheese bun. I see my mother looking at Prim with a disapproving look and glare at her. She looks at me and sighs. We have breakfast in silence, as Prim is nervous, I'm still just tired, and my mother isn't really a great conversation-starter. When we're finished I wash up and the doorbell rings. I open the door and Peeta steps in. He shakes his hair once, wetting me a little bit and then smiles.

"Good morning." He says and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I smile and walk into the living room. Peeta hands Prim a bag and then tells her to twirl around. She smiles and twirls once, and her skirt flies up around her. Peeta applauds and she chuckles. "So what's with the fancy hair and your second-favorite skirt?" Peeta asks as he sits down. He really knew her well, as if she was his little sister. She blushes and I chuckle.

"A certain someone is taking her on a date." I say. Peeta smirks at her and raises an eyebrow and she rolls her eyes with a shy smile on her face.

"It's not a date, we're just.. going to the cinema.. together." She says.

"That's a date, Prim." Peeta says.

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is."

"Okay, it is, but I'm already nervous so just shut up." She says quickly and hides her face in her hands. We laugh and Prim walks out of the room, saying, "And thanks for the cookies."

I sit down next to Peeta and he wraps his arms around my waist. "So what are we gonna do today?" He asks. I shrug.

"Well we're going dancing later." I say. He freezes and looks at me with a shocked and confused face.

"You're kidding, right?" He says after a few moments. I shake my head.

"No, I'm quite serious." I say.

"Katniss, we can't go back after what happened last time. And I don't want to see Sophia anymore. I thought you wouldn't either." He says.

"But we have to go back, otherwise we'll give Sophia what she wanted. She wanted to flirt with you and hurt me, so I won't go back. We have to go." I say. I leave out the part that I'm hoping she says something mean to me so I can slap her. Peeta sighs and massages his forehead with one of his hands.

"What if she flirts with me again?" He says after a while. I narrow my eyes and shrug.

"Then you just ignore her and turn away. Anyway, I won't leave you out of my sight, and if she flirts with you I will kill her." I say quite seriously. Peeta looks at me in shock for a few moments and then starts laughing.

"You're crazy. Really, _really_ crazy." He says and shakes his head with a smile on his face. I chuckle and snuggle into his chest a bit.

"But that's why you love me." I say and smile. He chuckles and kisses the top of my head. Then we just watch some tv for a while. After ten minutes he turns to me again.

"You were joking when you said you'd kill Sophia, weren't you? Cause if you do kill her, you'd land in prison. And that might not be great for our relationship." He says seriously. I laugh and just give him a kiss on the cheek. He smiles and squeezes me for a second. After a few minutes I look up again.

"I also want to go dancing, because it's your birthday present. If we don't go dancing, I didn't really give you a present." I say. He looks down at me and rolls his eyes.

"You don't really think I care that you didn't 'give me a birthday present', do you?" He says. I shrug and he chuckles. "You came to the party, that was enough. And we already went dancing twice. Plus, you gave me something else, the day after my birthday. You know, after we went dancing. In my bedroom." He says and grins mischievously. After a few seconds I know what he's talking about and blush, laughing.

"Rye actually suggested I gave you that." I murmur after a few seconds. Peeta looks up at me and raises his eyebrows.

"Rye suggested you gave me your virginity?" He asks in disbelief. I nod and he grins.

"I love my brothers sometimes." He then says. I laugh and slap his arm softly. He chuckles and twirls my braid a bit. We watch some movie, about a boy who gets bitten by a spider and changes into some superhero or something, who wears a tight, blue spandex and a mask. I thought the movie was a bit weird and unrealistic, but Peeta thought it was amazing. After that we have some lunch and sit down at the table with my mother.

"Hi Mrs. Everdeen." Peeta says and grins. I roll my eyes and chuckle silently. She smiles at him and says hello. We all eat together and my mother thanks Peeta for the cheese buns he gave us.

"Oh, you're welcome. Did you like them?" He asks and smiles. She nods. "Yeah, they were lovely. Just like your father used to make them." She says and then looks down. There's an awkward silence for a minute. Then I stand up and put the plates in the sink. I grab Peeta's hand and tell my mother we'll be outside. I grab an umbrella and my coat, and we walk out.

"Talking about awkwardness.." I murmur as I close the door. Peeta chuckles and puts an arm around my waist. It was raining quite hard. We walk slowly, not going to a specific location. After half an hour we end up at Madge's house. We knock on the door, and a few seconds later she opens it, holding a phone to her shoulder.

"Hi guys." She says and turns around. We walk in and close the door behind us. We follow her to the living room as she talks to someone on the phone. "Yeah, it's Katniss and Peeta.. Uhu. I know.. No, I haven't seen Louis in a while. But I told you what he told me. He doesn't like me anymore... Yeah, I know.. Okay. I'll talk to you later!" She says. Then she smiles and whispers "Love you too." We chuckle and she puts the phone down.

"So because you can't go to the park you decide to hang out at my house?" She says and sits down one of the big sofa's. Peeta nods with a big grin on his face and she chuckles. "Okay, cool." She says. We sit down on the sofa as well and Madge asks one of the employees if she could get us a drink. She nods and comes back with three drinks and some crisps a few minutes later. Madge smiles and thanks her.

"Madge, can you believe Katniss wants to go dancing later?" Peeta then says. Madge looks at me in disbelief and raises one eyebrow.

"Why? Are you mental?" She says. I roll my eyes.

"I hear that a lot. And just, you know, because." I say and shrug. She rolls her eyes and Peeta chuckles. Then we talk about some other things for a while.

"Anyway, did you know that Gale is-"

"Taking you on a date when he comes over." Peeta and I say at the same time. We both laugh and Madge rolls her eyes.

"You're so alike, but so different." She says after a while. I raise an eyebrow and Peeta does the same at the exact same time. We both grin at each other and Madge raises a hand at us.

"You see? But you're also so different. I mean, Peeta's always so happy and smiling, and Katniss.. well, since you met Peeta you smile nearly all the time as well, but before that you barely ever smiled." She says. Peeta squeezes my hand softly and I blush.

"Your point being?" I say.

"I don't know. I'm just saying that you're kind of perfect for each other, I guess." She says and shrugs, shoving a handful of crisps into her mouth. I smile.

"Thanks." I say. Peeta wraps an arm around my waist and gives me a kiss on the cheek. Before he leans back he whispers something, "I already knew that." I chuckle and he grins. Then Peeta stretches his back and turns his head slightly, looking at the paintings that were hanging up.

"Shall we go to my house? I want to put on something warmer." He then says and rubs his arms. Why was he wearing a t-shirt in this weather? We chuckle and nod. Madge grabs an umbrella and we walk outside. After a few minutes we're at Peeta's and we go the living room. Leo looks up at us and smiles. "Hey guys." He says. We say hello and sit on the sofa, and Peeta puts on a warm sweatshirt. Then the phone goes. Leo picks it up and looks at us.

"Uhu, one second." He says and holds the phone towards us. "It's Louis." He says. Peeta stands up and grabs the phone.

"Hey Louis.. Yeah. Nah, just chilling with Madge and Katniss. Wanna come over?" He asks. Madge sighs and Peeta grins at her. "Okay. I'll see you in ten minutes!" He says and puts the phone down.

"Thank you, Peeta." Madge says sarcastically. Peeta sits down in between us and gives Madge a small hug. "You're welcome." He says and grins. I laugh and Madge just rolls her eyes. We watch some tv for a while until the doorbell rings. Peeta goes to answer it and comes back with Louis a few seconds later.

"Hi!" He says and smiles at us. We say hello and the boys sit down next to us. "So, how are you?" Louis asks to no one in particular.

"I'm fine. How 'bout you?" Peeta says. Louis shrugs and smiles.

"I'm fine. I just came back from District 10 this morning." He says and grins. I see Leo freeze as he just stares at the food he was eating.

"Oh? What were you doing there?" Madge asks.

"I went to see my girlfriend. We've been dating for two or three weeks now. She's an amazing kisser." He says and grins again. Peeta laughs and gives him a high-five, and Madge and I just chuckle and roll our eyes.

"What's her name?" I ask.

"Isabel."

I freeze as Leo jumps up. "YOU'RE DATING ISABEL?!" He yells angrily. Louis raises an eyebrow and nods.

"Um, yeah, there's no need to scream."

"DON'T TELL ME THERE'S NO NEED TO SCREAM, YOU-"

Suddenly it's like everything's in slow-motion. Leo running towards Louis with a raised fist, Madge screaming, and Peeta jumping up in front of Louis, just as Leo tries to punch him. Peeta gets punched in the belly and I scream. Leo freezes and Louis just stares at us all with wide eyes. Peeta doubles over and falls onto his side. I jump up and kneel next to him, as Leo looks at his fist, and then at Peeta with wide, scared eyes.

I turn Peeta around carefully. His eyes are squeezed shut, he's biting on his bottom lip, and his arms are wrapped around his belly. Leo falls onto his knees and runs a hand through his hair.

"I am so sorry, I don't know what just happened, I-" Leo says quickly. I put up a hand and he shuts up.

"Grab a glass of water and say nothing." I say strictly. Leo nods and runs out of the room. Two seconds later he comes back with the glass of water, drinking it himself.

"That's for Peeta!" I say loudly. He stops drinking. "Oh." He says and runs over to us, handing me the glass. I hear Madge mutter something like 'stupid' and Leo glares at her. I gesture for Madge and Louis to get off the sofa, and they get up and stand a meter away from us, watching with worried faces. I put one hand on Peeta's tensed arms, and the other on his right cheek.

"Peeta?" I say softly. He silent for a few seconds. Then he groans loudly and opens his eyes. He looks at Leo with pained eyes and glares at him.

"Asshole." He murmurs. I chuckle and carefully help him get up. I make him sit on the sofa and then sit next to him. Louis, Madge and Leo just watch us with scared eyes. Peeta arms are still around his belly, holding it tight. I pick up the glass and hold it in front of his mouth. He takes a sip and then sighs and throws his head back. I brush the hair out of his eyes carefully and then brush his cheek.

"Are you alright?" I ask softly. He looks up at me and nods slowly.

"I'll be fine." He says and smiles slightly. I smile and turn to Leo.

"Don't you _ever_ do that again." I say and glare at him. Leo puts up his hands.

"I won't, really. I'm so so so so sorry, it was really an accident, I just got really angry and tried to punch Louis, but Peeta jumped in front of him without me knowing." He says quickly. I sigh and look at Peeta, who is now staring at me with a happy smile.

"What?" I say. He shrugs slightly and slowly takes one of his arms off of his belly. He grabs my hand and squeezes it slightly.

"It's cute. You, being all worried and getting angry at my own brother for hurting me." He says softly and grins. I chuckle and roll my eyes. Only Peeta would say something like that right after he got punched in the stomach. I hear Madge 'aaw' softly and give Peeta a quick kiss on the cheek. He sighs and takes his other arm off his belly as well. Then he glares at Leo.

"That was _so_ not cool." He says. Leo runs over to him and pulls him in for a hug.

"I'm so sorry." He murmurs into Peeta's hair. Then he releases him and pinches the bridge of his nose. He turns around slowly and glares at Louis. "You're dating Isabel?" He asks softly. Louis nods and shifts his feet a bit nervously.

"Yeah. For two or three weeks now. Her brother introduced us to each other." Louis says. Leo's head snaps up and he stares at Louis with wide eyes.

"Isabel doesn't have a brother."

"Yes she does, Michael."

"No she- oh my god." Leo says and puts his hands on his face. I realize what just happened and sigh.

"You're both talking about a different Isabel, aren't you?" Madge says. They both nod and Peeta rolls his eyes.

"You're so stupid, Leo." He says. Leo turns back and smiles sheepishly. Then he turns back to Louis.

"I'm sorry I tried to punch you." He murmurs. Louis chuckles and waves it off.

"It's okay." He says.

"Is it?" Peeta murmurs so soft only I can hear. I chuckle and give him a quick kiss. Then Leo goes upstairs and Madge and Louis sit down on the sofa next to us.

"Well. That was interesting." Madge says. We chuckle and talk for another while. Then we watch some tv until it's half past 5.

"Anyway, I gotta go home." Louis says. Madge nods and says she has to go home as well. We walk them to the door and say goodbye. Then Peeta turns around and pushes me against the wall. "I love you." He says softly. He gives me a long kiss and then pulls back and grins.

"I love you too." I say softly and chuckle. He smiles and grabs my hand, pulling me into the kitchen. His father looks up at us and smiles.

"Dad, Katniss is staying for dinner." Peeta says. I turn my head and raise an eyebrow. He grins at me and I chuckle.

"Alright then." Mr. Mellark says. We walk upstairs and sit on Peeta's bed. He puts his arms around my shoulders and I rest my head on his chest.

"Katniss?" He says after a minute.

"Hmm?"

"Remember last Saturday, when we were pulling the blanket and I won, and my prize was that you'd stay the night? You never did." He says. I smile, I know where he's going with this.

"Oh?" I say.

"So, I was wondering if you can stay tonight. I mean, it's only fair if you do, otherwise I didn't get my prize." He says. I can't see his face, but I know he's grinning widely.

"Sure." I say and look up at him. He grins and gives me a kiss. After a minute he pulls back and we talk for a while. After about half an hour Peeta's father calls us down for dinner. We walk downstairs and sit down. After two minutes, Rye and their mother walk in as well. I freeze as his mother sits down opposite us, next to Mr. Mellark. I didn't expect her to be here.

Peeta's father looks from Peeta, to his wife, to me, back to his wife. Then he swallows nervously and picks up his knife and fork. "Well, um, enjoy!" He says and shoves some food into his mouth. I pick up my knife and fork and see Peeta's mother is trying her best not to look up and glare at me. Everyone eats silently. After a few minutes Mr. Mellark clears his throat and looks up at Peeta and I.

"Are you going dancing again?" He asks. Peeta nods and his father chuckles and shakes his head. "Even after last time? Why?" He says. Peeta looks at me and shrugs slightly.

"Katniss wants to." He says. His mother finally looks up and glares at me. I glare back and see the hatred in her eyes. I nearly stick out my tongue, but stop myself when I see Peeta's angry face as he sees his mother. I squeeze his hand under the table softly and he sighs. We eat again in silence until Peeta looks up again. "Katniss is staying here tonight." He says confidently. His mother's head snaps up again as she stares at us with wide, angry eyes.

"No she isn't." She hisses.

"Yes she is." Peeta says seriously.

"You will listen to me if I say something. She is _not_ staying." His mother hisses.

Peeta puts down his knife and fork and crosses his arms. Everyone just stares at him as he stares at his mother calmly.

"_She's. Staying._" He says slowly, as if talking to a toddler. I bite my lip and look down. His mother's face turns red and I see one of her eyes twitch slightly. That's freaky. Mr. Mellark sees it as well, cause he puts down his knife and fork and tries to tell her to calm down.

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, IF THAT SLUT STAYS HERE TONIGHT, I AM LEAVING." She yells. Rye gasps and Peeta glares at her. Mr. Mellark just stares at her in shock.

"You did _not_ just call my girlfriend a slut." Peeta says angrily.

"Peeta-" I try, but he just puts up a hand.

"She's staying here tonight. So leave." He then says calmly. His mother just glares at him for a moment and then shoves her chair back. She slams her knife and fork down, shoves her chair against the table roughly and walks out. A few seconds later I hear the front door slam shut. I just stare at Peeta with wide eyes. He turns to me and grabs one of my hands.

"I'm sorry she called you a slut." He says softly, making small patterns on the back of my hand. I shake my head.

"I'm sorry, this is all my fault, I should just go home and-" I try, but Peeta presses his lips against mine. A few seconds later he pulls back and smiles slightly.

"It's alright. Really. Nobody wants her here anyway." He says. Rye and Leo nod and grin, and I chuckle softly. Mr. Mellark just smiles at me slightly. We all finish our dinners like nothing happened, and then go up to Peeta's bedroom. He puts on his dancing-clothes and shoes, and grabs his coat and an umbrella. Then we say goodbye to his brothers and Mr. Mellark, and walk to my house. We go up to my bedroom and I put on my dress, and the high-heels that I had brought to town a few days ago. Luckily, some shoe shop was able to fix the heel. Then I take my hair out of its braid and brush it quickly. I grab a bag and put my toothbrush and pajamas in there, although I have a feeling I won't particularly need the pajamas tonight. We walk downstairs and sit down on the sofa. We'd leave in half an hour, otherwise we'd be to early. Then the doorbell rings. Prim's upstairs, so I go to get it.

I open the door and see Liam stand in front of me with a big umbrella. One of his hands is nervously rubbing the back of his neck. He looks up at me and smiles.

"Hi, Liam. You look handsome." I say and smile. He blushes and straightens the collar of his red button-down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. "Thanks. Is Prim there?" He asks and looks behind me. Then I hear Prim walking down the stairs. I turn around and see her freeze as she sees Liam. I notice she put on a different skirt. This one was blue, to match her eyes. Liam grins and walks in, past me. She walks downstairs and he puts his arms around her waist.

"You look amazing." He says softly and puts his forehead against hers. She blushes and smiles. "You too." She whispers. They stare at each other for a moment and then lean in to kiss, but I clear my throat. Liam jumps and Prim sighs. Liam slides his fingers into hers and turns around.

"I want Prim home by 9.30." I say as Peeta walks into the hallway as well. Liam frowns for a second and then shakes his head.

"How about 10.30?" He then says with a cheeky grin. Prim laughs and I roll my eyes.

"10." I say.

"Deal." Liam says and opens the door for Prim. They walk out and Peeta and I wish them a good night. They smile and walk away under the umbrella.

**Prim's POV**

We walk around the corner and Liam stops. He puts an arm around my waist and gives me a long kiss. Then he pulls away slowly and smiles. I smile as well as we walk again.

"You really look beautiful. I love your skirt." He says after a minute. I smile and squeeze his hand softly.

"Thank you. I thought you'd like this one." I say. I knew he liked the color blue. He grins and we walk inside the cinema. "So what movie are we gonna see?" I ask. He shrugs.

"What movie do you wanna go to?" He asks. I shrug and look at all of the different movies. There were so many to choose from.

"I don't know. You pick." I say. He picks a movie and pays for the tickets. Then we go upstairs, just on time, as the movie is just starting. We sit down, somewhere in the back, and take off our coats. Then we watch the movie. Liam had chosen a great movie. It was very funny, with some action and romance. After about twenty minutes Liam yawns and rests his arm on my shoulders. I chuckle and lift the thing separating our seats. Then I sit closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder. He grins and kisses the top of my head once.

"_But don't you see? I love you! I've loved you since I was five years old! You're the one who never noticed."_ The blonde boy in the movie says. I can't help but notice he looks a bit like Peeta. Same hair, and blue eyes. The brown-haired girl freezes for a moment. Then she leans forward and kisses him passionately. I feel Liam glance at me and turn my head. He smiles at me and gives me a kiss. I rest a hand on his face and lean back after a minute. He smiles again and we watch the movie.

After another hour the movie ends; the blonde boy asks the girl to marry him, although he knows she doesn't want to get married. But she says yes anyway. The whole room '_aaw_'s and Liam and I chuckle. Then the screen goes black and we stand up. Liam grabs my hand and we walk downstairs again. We walk outside and Liam puts up his umbrella again. He puts an arm around my waist and we walk for a while.

"Do you want to get some fries?" He then asks. I chuckle and nod.

"Sure, why not." I say. He smiles and we walk for another ten minutes, until we end up at some cafe. We walk inside and Liam puts the umbrella down. Then we order and sit down in the back. I sit down opposite him and we dig in. I just got some fries, Liam got fries and a big hamburger. I have some fries and just stare at Liam.

_You look so bloody handsome_.

He looks up at me and blushes.

"Thank you." He says and smiles shyly. I freeze. I thought I didn't say it out loud. Oh my god. I feel my cheeks burn and Liam raises an eyebrow. "What's wrong?" He asks. I chuckle and shake my head slightly.

"Nothing, I just didn't know I just said that out loud." I say softly. He laughs and leans over the table to give me a kiss on the cheek. Then he finishes his hamburger and we walk out. We had twenty minutes before I had to be home, so we walk slowly. After a while we're at my house. We stop on my porch and I turn around. He puts his arms around my waist and I smile. He leans in, but just before his lips touch mine, I hear the front door open. He releases me quickly and I turn around. My mother looks at both of us with raised eyebrows.

"Good evening Mrs. Everdeen." Liam says nervously. I nearly chuckle, his cheeks were bright red and he was rubbing the back of his neck. My mother nods once. "Hello Liam. You coming in, Prim?" She then says. Ugh. I couldn't even say goodbye to him properly.

"What's that smell?" Liam says.

"What smell?" My mother says. Liam takes a deep sniff and then nods slightly.

"Something's burning." He says. My mother's eyes widen and she turns around and walks into the kitchen. Liam turns me around and wraps his arms around my waist quickly. He gives me a kiss and leans back after a few seconds with a grin on his face. I chuckle as he lets go again, just before my mother walks out again.

"There's nothing burning." She says and narrows her eyes at him.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Well, nice seeing you again Mrs. Everdeen. I'll see you tomorrow, Prim!" He says and turns around. He walks around the corner and I look up at my mother, trying to suppress a big smile. I walk past her and into the kitchen. She closes the door and follows me.

"Have fun?" She asks. I grab a glass of water and take a big sip before I answer her.

"Yeah. It was great." I say and smile. She smiles and strokes my hair once.

"Good. Alright, upstairs, it's bedtime." She says. I nod and say goodnight. Then I walk upstairs and take my hair out of its braid. I take my clothes off and put on my woolly pajamas. I do my teeth and leave Buttercup in before I close the bedroom door. Then I lie down and turn the lights off. Buttercup jumps on to the bed and lies next to me. I smile and pet her as I fall asleep quickly.

**Author's Note: I'm sorry if you all think I'm writing about Prim and Liam too much, I just think they're really adorable and stuff. Anyway, I was going to write about Katniss and Peeta's night in this chapter as well, but I don't have any time anymore. So that'll be in the next chapter, which will probably be up by tomorrow, and otherwise Sunday! :)**


	43. Chapter 43

**Author's Note: Shout out to all of my readers, who have reviewed 751 times in total. You're amazing, and I'm sure Peeta would happily bake cookies for every single one of you if he.. you know, wasn't fictional and stuff. Um, anyway, here's chapter 43, enjoy! It's starting from the moment Prim and Liam leave :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 43_

**Peeta's POV**

They close the door behind them and Katniss sighs. I turn to her and put an arm around her waist. "What's wrong?" I ask as I brush her cheek. She shrugs slightly and just stares at the door.

"Prim's growing up so fast. It's just.. I don't know, scary." She says softly. That's _really_ a thing a mother would say. She'd be such a great mom. I put both arms around her waist and give her a kiss on the cheek. She smiles and looks me in the eyes, and I nearly forget what I was just about to say. I blink and she smirks slightly.

"We better get going, or we'll be late." I say softly, grabbing her bag. It felt like there was nothing in it. She nods and yells at her mother that we're going. Her mother walks out and eyes both of us. Then she looks at the bag in my hands.

"What's in the bag?" Her mother asks. Katniss glances at the bag and then runs her hands through her hair a bit, not looking at her mother.

"Oh, um, I'm sleeping at Peeta's tonight, so that's just my pajamas and toothbrush and stuff." She says softly. Her pajamas. Like she'd be needing that tonight. I suppress a chuckle and look down, making little patterns on the back of Katniss' hand. Her mother raises her eyebrows and then glances at me.

"Your parents know Katniss is staying later?" She asks. I nod quickly.

"Yes Mrs. Everdeen." I say and give her my 'charming-polite-good-guy-smile'. I can nearly feel Katniss roll her eyes.

"And they're okay with that?"

"We'll, um, yeah." I say. That wasn't really a lie. My father was fine with it. Mrs. Everdeen narrows her eyes for a moment and then sighs.

"Fine. Have fun." She says. Before we can say anything, she looks up again. "Not too much fun." Katniss groans and puts her hands over her face.

"Alright, bye." She says and nearly drags me out. I chuckle and wave back at her mother.

"Goodnight Mrs. Everdeen!" I say before Katniss slams the door shut. I chuckle again and open the car door for her. She steps in and I throw her bag into the back seats. Then I get in myself and put the heating on, as it's quite cold in here and we don't have any coats on. I start driving and hum to a song on the radio as Katniss stares out of the window happily. After a few minutes we're there and I stop the car. Before I open the door, I grab Katniss' hands. She looks at me and I smile.

"Katniss. Please don't, you know, kill Sophia." I say. She chuckles and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I can't promise anything." She says as she gets out and closes the door behind her. I was in love with one weird girl. Eh, oh well. I chuckle to myself and get out of the car, and follow Katniss inside. I immediately see Sophia talking with someone at the other side of the room. I grab Katniss' hand, half because I just want to touch her, and half because I'm scared she'll jump on Sophia. Sophia turns around and grins when she sees me. Her smile drops when she sees Katniss next to me. I see Katniss smirk out of the corner of my eye and sigh. This was going to be an _interesting_ night.

**Katniss' POV**

Sophia sees me and her jaw drops. Hehe. I was looking forward to this. I can hear Peeta sigh next to me, but I keep my eyes on Sophia. She's frozen, and Justin is just tapping at her shoulder. After a few seconds she turns away and says something to Justin. He then gives her a kiss on the cheek and starts telling everyone to gather around. I poke Peeta's arm and lean in to whisper something.

"I don't think Justin knows about last week." I whisper as we walk over to the rest of the group. Peeta frowns and nods slightly.

"Should we tell him? I think he should know." He whispers softly. I nod. We should tell him later, it wouldn't be fair if he didn't know his own girlfriend kissed someone else. We stand next to some other people and Justin puts up a hand and waves at us all.

"Welcome back! This week we're going to be.." I zone out as I watch Sophia stare at me with a scared look in her eyes. That was a first. I smirk slightly and she looks down. I realize everyone's dancing and feel Peeta's hand on my waist. I turn my head and see him smiling at me, his hand raised. I smile and slide my fingers into his. I rest my other hand on his right shoulder. We start moving a bit, twirling so now and then, but I can't seem to concentrate. All I can think of is why Sophia looks so.. concentrated. She looks like she's thinking about something. Maybe she was making a plan. That evil-

_Stop it, you're just making yourself paranoid_. I sigh as Peeta twirls me into his arms again and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek before he twirls me away again. Then Justin claps his hands and we all gather round.

"Okay, great work. We'll be doing something a bit harder now. Sophia?" Justin says. Sophia blinks and then looks up, a bit bewildered. She smiles slightly and puts her hand in his. The music starts and they start dancing. After a few second I gasp. Justin was lifting Sophia up, then turning them around quickly, and then he'd put her down and she'd raise one of her legs so high both of her legs were just one vertical line. They do some more amazing stuff and then turn around and tell us to try. Some people look very enthusiastic and sure of themselves. I turn to Peeta and shake my head slightly.

"No way am I going to be able to raise my leg that high." I say as Peeta slides his fingers into mine again. He chuckles and squeezes my hands softly to reassure me. The music starts and I gulp. We start moving swiftly, and then Peeta picks me up with ease. He twirls us around quickly and then puts me down again. This was the part where I lift my leg. We twirl once and then I lift my leg. To my surprise, it goes just as high as Sophia's. I gasp and Peeta just grins at me. Since when was I so.. flexible? Must be from climbing all those trees or something. Anyhow, it really surprises me.

I then realize I'm wearing a dress. I quickly lower my leg again and Peeta just chuckles as he half picks me up, spinning me around. After a while we're done and I can honestly say I didn't expect it to go so well. We're both out of breath, our chests heaving. Peeta leans in and gives me a kiss. After a few seconds he leans back and smiles. "You're amazing." He says softly and brushes my cheek. I smile and we turn around again.

The rest of the lesson goes by pretty quickly, and Sophia acts as if she forgot I'm there. The dances go pretty well, and Peeta looks really happy. I smile, as this is what I wanted. For Peeta to be happy. Then the lesson's over. Justin gives a goodbye speech, saying the usual 'I hope you all come back next week, you're amazing dancers, blabla, goodbye.' Peeta looks at me and I nod. We wait until everyone's gone and then walk over to Sophia and Justin, who are in the back of the room, drinking water and wiping their foreheads with a towel.

"Um, Justin?" Peeta asks. They both turn around and Sophia looks at us both with big eyes. Justin smiles.

"Hi Peeta. What's wrong?" He asks. I feel so sorry for him. Peeta freezes and looks down. I knew this would happen. Peeta wouldn't tell Justin that his girlfriend kissed him. He was too kind to do that. I sigh and look up.

"Sophia kissed Peeta last week." I say softly. Justin gasps and looks at Sophia. She just stares at me and then looks up at Justin.

"I forgot to tell you; Peeta grabbed me and pressed his lips against mine. I tried to get away but he was too strong." She says softly. Then I see a tear roll down her cheek. Oh my god, that bitch. Justin's head snaps up as he glares at Peeta.

"What did you do?!" He yells as he pushes Peeta roughly, causing him to nearly fall backwards.

"Hey, don't you push Peeta! Sophia's lying, she jumped on him!" I yell, pushing Justin back. He pushes me back roughly, making me fall backwards. I land on my back and groan. I see Peeta jump on Justin, literally. He pins Justin to the ground and then puts his face close to his.

"Don't _ever_ push Katniss like that. Actually, don't even touch her. Understood?" He says with a low voice. Justin just glares at him. After a second Peeta gets off of him and Justin jumps up. He punches Peeta's nose and I gasp. I jump up as Peeta puts his hands over his nose and groans.

"You bastard, what was that for?!" I yell as I run over to Peeta. Justin just glares at us as he puts an arm around Sophia's shoulders. To think that I felt sorry for him about three minutes ago. Sophia smirks at me and I feel all the anger from last week and right now boil up inside me. Before I can even think about what I'm about to do, I step closer to them and slap Sophia as hard as I can. You hear a loud _smack!_ as my hand reaches her cheek. Her head turns around and she stumbles back a few steps. Justin gasps and puts his hands on Sophia's shoulders to keep her from falling. I grab Peeta's hand and we nearly run out of the door. We walk to the car wordlessly and get in.

Then I look at Peeta and gasp. There was a little bit of blood running out of his nose.

"Put your head back." I order. He puts his head back and I brush his hair out of his eyes. "Are you okay?" I ask softly. He turns his head slightly and gives me a small grin.

"Do I look okay?" He asks. I chuckle and brush his cheek softly.

"You didn't have to do that. Jump on Justin only because he pushed me." I say softly as I look around the car for a tissue. I find a small tissue and press it onto Peeta's nose. He winces slightly but then looks at me again.

"He was pushing my girl. I had to do _something_." He says and grins slightly. I smile and give him a kiss on the cheek. Then I gently wipe the blood off of his nose. It didn't look like it was broken, luckily. "You slapped Sophia really hard. Again." He says as he opens one eye to look at me. I just stare at his nose, not wanting to make eye contact because I'm scared he'll get all worried and angry and stuff again. Instead he grins smugly and squeezes one of my hands. I chuckle and pull away the tissue, as the bleeding has stopped.

"Are you sure you're alright?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's only the second time I've been punched today." He says and rolls his eyes playfully. I chuckle and turn the heating on as he starts the car. After a few minutes we're home. I grab my bag from the back seat and we walk up to Peeta's front door. He grabs some keys and opens the door for me. I walk in and he closes it behind us. We walk into the kitchen and he grabs a towel and some ice. He holds it against his nose carefully and winces. He sits down at the table and I get both of us a drink. Then I sit down next to him and examine his nose carefully.

"You'll be fine." I say. He smiles and brushes my cheek with his thumb. Before he can lean in, his father walks in and gasps.

"What happened to your nose?" He says loudly as he runs over to us. Peeta puts the ice down and shrugs slightly.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine, it's just bleeding a bit." He says. Mr. Mellark looks at me and I sigh.

"Justin punched him." I say. Mr. Mellark gasps and turns Peeta's head to make sure the rest of his face is alright.

"What have I told you about fighting?" Mr. Mellark says with a strict voice. Peeta rolls his eyes.

"Dad, he pushed Katniss. I'm not going to just stand there and do nothing, am I? And anyway, it wasn't a fight. He shoved me, Katniss shoved him, he shoved Katniss, I pinned him to the ground, he punched me once, and Katniss slapped Sophia so hard she'll probably have a red mark for a month." He says and shrugs slightly. I chuckle and his father rolls his eyes.

"Alright. Now get to bed, it's getting late." Mr. Mellark says. Then he smirks slightly as he turns to Peeta. "I'll bring down the extra mattress, shall I?" He says. Peeta glares at him and pushes him softly.

"I think we'll be fine. Goodnight." He says with an annoyed voice as he grabs my bag and drags me upstairs. I chuckle as he closes the door behind us. He leans against the wall and groans, rolling his eyes. I walk over to him and give him a kiss. Then I lean back and smile at him. Peeta starts taking his shoes off and I do the same. It felt so good to take those high-heels off. Then I grab the bag and start looking for my pajamas.

"And _what_ do you think you're doing?" Peeta asks. He comes and stands behind me, with his arms around my waist.

"I'm putting on my pajamas." He looks at me with fake-shock.

"Why?"

"Because it's going to be really cold tonight."

"We'll just have to keep each other warm then." He murmurs as he starts kissing down my neck. His hands slide down my arms, stopping at my hands. He slowly takes them out of my bag and puts them on my legs. Then he lets my hands go and puts his arms around my waist again, pressing himself against me. I smile and turn my head to give him a kiss on the cheek. He grins and picks me up bridal-style.

"Peeta!" I say. He just chuckles and carries me over to the bed.

"Yes?" He says as he lies me down. I chuckle and roll my eyes.

"Nothing." I say and pull him onto the bed. He lies down next to me and puts his arms around my waist. Then he kisses me and I smile. He rolls us over slowly so I'm on top. I feel his hands go up my back, and a few seconds later I can hear the zip of my dress being pulled down. He pulls the zip down all the way and pulls the dress off of me. Then he glances at my chest once before his cheeks turn red and he kisses me again. I fiddle with the buttons on his shirt. Ugh, this was taking so long. When I'm halfway I just decide to pull it over his head. He chuckles and I throw the shirt onto the ground. Then my hands run down his chest and stop at his pants. I pull them down roughly and he kicks them off.

His hands run through my hair as he kisses me passionately. My hands run over his chest; I'm still amazed by his body, even after all these times. Then his hands go down my neck and start tugging at my bra straps. They both fall down my arms, and he tries to open the clasp. After a few moments I hear the click, and my bra gets thrown onto the floor, on top of the pile of clothes. He was getting quicker at taking my bra off. I remember the first time, when it took about two minutes before he found out how the clasp worked.

His hands slide down my back slowly, until he's reached my panties. I feel him grin into our kiss slightly as he starts pulling that down as well. After a few moments I tug at his underwear as well, and a few seconds later we're both naked. Peeta rests his hands on my bum, squeezing it softly so now and then. Then his hands slide in between my legs and I gasp softly. He touches me and I tangle my hands in his hair. After a few minutes I slide one of my hands down his chest slowly and rub him. He groans and kisses me roughly.

Then one his hands leaves my bum and starts opening the drawer of his bedside table. He pulls out the small blue box. I look at the closet and notice he must have put it in the drawer before I came. I nearly laugh when I realize. He pulls out a condom and I lean back. He puts it on quickly, and then grins at me before grabbing my waist and rolling us over swiftly. He kisses me for a minute and then leans back. He looks at me once, to make sure I want this, probably. So I nod slightly and grin. He grins back and then pushes into me.

Only this time, I don't feel a stinging pain or anything, like last time. I feel.. a great feeling. He kisses my jaw for a few seconds and then pulls out again slowly. A few seconds later he pushes into me again and I groan softly. He does this a few times, kissing me in the meantime. After a few minutes, he thrusts into me again and he hits that same spot he did last time. I groan loudly as one hands tangles in Peeta's hair, and the other pulls at the sheets. He thrusts into me a couple more times, making me moan loudly, and then pulls out and rolls us over. His arms wrap around my waist as he kisses me. After another few minutes we lean back and just get our breathing back to normal. He smiles and gives me a small, tender kiss. Then he leans back and just grins happily.

"You look pretty happy." I say softly after a while. He chuckles.

"I am pretty happy. _Very_ happy." He says. I smile and he sits up to grab the sheet. He pulls it over us and then wraps his arms around me. I lay my head on his chest and sigh happily. One of my legs is in between his, his arms are around me, and his head is resting on top of mine. It felt perfect. And somehow, very natural. As if _this_ is how I should be going to sleep every night, not on my own, in my own bed.

Peeta gives me a soft kiss on the cheek and then strokes my hair slowly.

"I love you, Peeta." I whisper. He looks down at me in confusion for a moment, as if he didn't understand me. I suppose usually he was the first one to say it, and then I'd say 'I love you too.' Two seconds later he grins widely and gives me a short kiss.

"I love you too, Katniss." He holds me even tighter, if that's even possible, and rests his head on top of mine again. I feel so comfortable. After a few minutes I feel my eyes droop and fall asleep, still with a smile on my face.

**Author's Note: I'm sorry it's so short. You might not believe me, but I started writing this chapter at, like, 5 o'clock or something. I just kept getting distracted. Look, this is how it went: **

**17.00 – Turns laptop on.**

**17.07 – Reads Chapter 42 to get in the mood.  
17.20 – Watches bit of the Olympics**

**17.30 – Starts writing Chapter 43  
17.45 – Goes to have dinner  
18.30 (i'm a slow eater okay) – Goes back to bedroom to write story  
18.45 – Grabs cola  
18.50 – Somehow ends up on some tumblr page, even thought I don't have a tumblr account, and watches a video of today of Josh Hutcherson dancing at a basketball match.  
18.55 – Still laughing about that video, and watches it again and again for ten minutes or something.  
19.10 – Gets back to writing that bloody chapter  
19.15 – Answers PM and reads all of the reviews again  
19.30 – Grabs chocolate  
19.32 – Writes chapter  
19.45 – Finds out Shrek 2 is on tv and goes to watch that.  
21.20 – Writes chapter.  
21.30 – Argues with Mom about 'that I haven't been out in days'. Like, seriously, we came back two days ago..**

**21.45 – Writes chapter  
22.10 – Watches some crappy tv show my mom likes  
22.25 – Attempts to make cheese toasties, and fails _twice_ because our toastie-machine is crap.  
22.35 – Finally eats cheese toasties.  
22.55 – Writes chapter  
23.20 – Gets screamed at because it's getting late and I have to go to bed**

**23.30 – Actually gets ready for bed  
23.45 – Writes the chapter.**

I know that nobody cares, but I'm bored and stuff and yolo so yeah. Anyway, next update will be tomorrow! Or, wait, today, well, it depends on where you live. I'll update on Sunday, alright? :)


	44. Chapter 44

**Author's Note: I'm so so so so _so_ sorry I didn't update! I was _really_ sick, and I basically stayed in bed all day yesterday and the day before. So I'm reaaally sorry for all of the people who have been patiently (or not very patiently) waiting. Anyway, here's chapter 44, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 44_

**Katniss' POV**

For the first time in weeks, I'm having a nightmare. I'm standing outside the mines, yelling for my father to just come out. I know it's a nightmare, but I can't wake up. I try to run in to the mines, but strong, invisible hands are holding me back.

"Dad! Please, don't leave us, we need you!" I yell. I could feel the warm tears streaming down my face. My arms are wrapped around my chest, trying to keep it from heaving too much. That's when I hear the loud, nearly deafening, bang. A strangled sob escapes my mouth as one of the men, helping everyone get out, falls onto his knees and shakes his head slightly. Mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends all fall silent as we all realize the same thing; they're not coming out.

My eyes snap open and I sit up straight. The sweat was rolling down my forehead and my neck. I just stare at the wall for a few seconds, until I feel someone next to me sit up as well and put his arms around me. I turn my head slightly and see Peeta looking at me with a worried face.

"Are you alright?" He says softly. I realize I've been crying loudly since I woke up. I can't seem to stop myself though. Peeta notices and just pulls me close. He strokes my hair softly as I bury my face into his chest.

"It's okay." He whispers. After a while I sigh and look up. He brushes the tears away and then cups my head in his hands. "Nightmare?" He asks. I nod slightly and sniff once. He nods as well. "Wanna talk about it?" He says after a few moments. I shrug.

"It was the usual. My father's in the mines, there's the explosion, and then the moment that I realize he's not coming back." I say softly, barely above a whisper. He nods slightly and gives me a kiss on the top of my head. Then he lies us down again and I snuggle into his chest. Five minutes later I can hear Peeta snoring. I chuckle softly and try to get to sleep as well. After about half an hour, I still can't get to sleep, so I decide to get up. I carefully pick Peeta's arms up and put them next to him, and then stand up. I look around and see one of Peeta's t-shirts at the end of the bed. I put it on, along with my underwear, in case I wake someone, and then walk downstairs.

I go into the kitchen and grab myself a glass of water. Suddenly someone's standing a few meters behind me. I don't see or hear anything, but after hunting for four years you can just feel things like that. I turn around slowly and find Leo standing in the doorway. I smile and then remember I'm not wearing any pants.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I ask softly. He smiles slightly and shakes his head.

"Nah. I was already awake. Couldn't sleep after that.. conversation about Isabel we had today." He says and walks over to me. I snort, as it wasn't really a conversation. He grabs a glass of water as well and sits down at the table. He gestures for me to sit next to him, and I do. I sip at my water and look at Leo's face. I used to think him and Peeta looked alike, but now I'm so close by I see Leo's completely different. Like, Leo's nose is the tiniest bit longer, and he has shorter eyelashes. Plus his eyes weren't as blue as Peeta's. Leo looks up at me and raises one eyebrow, probably wondering why I'm staring at him. I just smile and look at the water.

"So why are you up?" He asks softly. I sigh and slide my finger on the rim of the glass.

"I had a nightmare and couldn't get back to sleep." I say and shrug slightly. Leo nods and takes a sip from his water. "I barely ever have nightmares anymore. Since I met Peeta.. they just don't occur anymore." I say. Leo smiles.

"That's good." He says. I nod slightly. Then there's a silence as we both just look at the table. It isn't an awkward silence, we were both just thinking. After a few seconds Leo looks down. Then he sees my bare legs and looks back up at me. He raises his eyebrows with a small smirk. I roll my eyes. He chuckles and shakes his head slightly. "You know, when Peeta and you are not together, you're all he talks about. Like, at breakfast, and before we go to bed." He then says. I smile. "At least he doesn't talk about you as much as the first week we moved here. Ugh, that was a nightmare." He says. I chuckle and raise an eyebrow. He nods slightly.

"Yeah, he'd be like 'Oh, did you know Katniss can hunt? Isn't that amazing? She's so talented.'" He says. I laugh and Leo rolls his eyes. "You might think it's funny, but we didn't. By the time we finally met you we knew nearly everything about you." He says. I chuckle.

"Well, aren't you glad you know me?" I say and wiggle my eyebrows once. He laughs and rolls his eyes.

"Oh, _delighted_." He says. I chuckle and slap his arm softly. He smiles and takes a sip from his water again. Then he looks up at me and clears his throat.

"You know, at your wedding, there better be chocolate cake." I nearly choke on my water and look up at him.

"What wedding?!"

"Yours and Peeta's. Oh, wait, a second.. it's Sunday today, isn't it, not Monday? Shoot, Peeta hasn't proposed yet." He murmurs and looks down with wide eyes. I just stare at him in disbelief. Was Peeta going to ask me to marry him.. today?! Leo looks up at my face for a moment and then doubles over, laughing.

"Oh my god, you should have seen your face!" He says, holding onto his belly with both arms. I glare at him and hit the back of his head. That was _not_ funny. I seriously believed Peeta was going to propose to me later.

"You scared the shit out of me, I hate you Leo." I say as I roll my eyes and pick up my glass again. He laughs and gives me a quick hug before standing up.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry. That was hilarious." He says and grins. I chuckle and he yawns once. "Alright, I'm gonna try and get some sleep. See you.. later, at breakfast." He says and smiles. I say goodnight and stand up to put away my glass. Then I tiptoe upstairs and open the door. Peeta's fast asleep, his arms cuddling the pillow. I smile and close the door behind me. Then I walk over to Peeta and lie next to him carefully. I take the pillow from between his arms and put it under our heads. Then I snuggle into his chest. He moves a bit and his arms wrap around me. I smile again and lay my head on his chest, my eyes drooping already.

The next time I open my eyes, it's a little bit brighter outside. I look at the clock and see it says _10:10_. I look up and see Peeta's awake, staring at the window.

"Good morning." I say softly. He looks down at me and smiles.

"Morning." He says as he brushes some of the hair off of my face. I smile and give him a quick kiss. Before he can wrap his arms around my waist, we hear his father calling everyone for breakfast. We get out of bed and Peeta looks me up and down. Then he looks up at me and raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, I got up last night and put on your shirt in case I woke someone up. Hope you don't mind." I say. He smiles and gives me a quick kiss.

"Of course not." Then he grabs my bag and pulls out my pajama pants. "Here, put this on as well, then it at least _looks_ like we slept in our pajamas." He says as he throws it over to me. I chuckle and put it on. Peeta puts on some pajama pants as well and we walk downstairs. We sit down in the kitchen and say good morning to the others, who have already started eating. I notice Leo doesn't look tired, so he must have gotten some sleep last night. He looks at our pajamas and raises one eyebrow. He knew we didn't wear them. I roll my eyes and he chuckles softly.

"So, sleep well?" Mr. Mellark asks. Leo just nods, probably not wanting to explain it all at this hour of the morning, and so do I. I grab a cheese bun and watch as Rye looks at my t-shirt. Then he looks up and smirks.

"Peeta's shirt actually looks better on you than it does on Peeta." He says. I laugh and Peeta just rolls his eyes as he punches his brother's arm softly. Suddenly Mr. Mellark tilts Peeta's head and looks at his neck. Peeta raises an eyebrow as his brothers look at his neck as well.

"Is this a hickey?" Mr. Mellark asks as he looks at the reddish-spot on Peeta's neck. Peeta's eyes widen and I drop my cheese bun. Had I done that last night? Mr. Mellark takes his hand from Peeta's face and Peeta looks down, covering his neck with his hand. I suddenly feel all eyes looking at me. I look down and stare at my cheese bun. At least I had gotten him back for that time he gave mea hickey. But still, this was _so_ embarrassing. There's a silence for a moment, until I hear Rye and Leo burst out laughing. I look up and see Peeta's father staring at us with a disapproving look.

"Sound like _someone_ got lucky last night!" Leo says as he raises his hand to give Peeta a high-five. Peeta's jaw drops as he stares at Leo with wide eyes, his cheeks going a dark-red. Mr. Mellark pushes Leo's arm down.

"Leo." He says strictly. Leo and Rye just chuckle and smirk at us. I put my hands over my cheeks and look down again. This is the first time I have breakfast with Peeta, Leo, Rye and Mr. Mellark, all at the same time, and we end up talking about _this_?!

"Don't worry Dad, they use protection." Rye then says casually. Peeta _and_ his father both choke on their drinks at the same time, and I can't help but laugh. I put my hand over my mouth and watch as Peeta glares at Rye with red cheeks. Mr. Mellark stares at Rye for a moment and then stares at us with wide-eyes. He clears his throat and looks down.

"Katniss, how is Prim doing?" He asks.

**Louis' POV**

I take another bite of my sandwich as I watch Liam talk to Emily about Prim. I sigh and rub my eyes. I hadn't been able to sleep well last night. I couldn't get over the fact that I had lied to Leo, and that we might have been talking about the same Isabel. I told Leo Isabel had a brother. Why? I don't even know myself. It just stumbled out. My Isabel didn't have a brother called Michael.

"Louis, are you okay?" My father asks as he looks at me with worried eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, just a bit tired. Didn't get a lot of sleep last night." I murmur as I run a hand through my hair. He nods slightly and looks down again. I finish breakfast quickly, trying to ignore Libby and Emily's fighting, and then walk upstairs. I get dressed and then walk into the living room. I grab the phone and dial in Isabel's number.

"Hello?"

"Hi sweetie, it's me." I say and smile.

"Oh, hi Louis!" She says happily.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine, you?"

"I asked how you felt, not how you looked!" I say. She laughs and I grin. That was a classic, always worked.

"Anyway, why are you calling? I'll be in District 12 in like, 5 hours..." She says.

"Oh, I know, but I just.. I just wanted to ask you something. Do you know a boy called Leo?"

There's a silence for about half a minute as I hear her breath in and out slowly. After what feels like ages she finally speaks again.

"W- why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious. He's my friends' brother, and he said he.. knew someone called Isabel." I say. I hear her swallow loudly.

"Yeah. I know a Leo." She says softly. All the happiness that was in her voice a few minutes ago is now gone. I nod slightly and stare at my feet. There's a silence again, both of us not knowing what to say.

"Oh- okay. Um, I suppose I'll see you later then." I say.

"Alright. Bye Louis." She says. She doesn't even wait for me to say goodbye back, she just hangs up. That was weird. I put the phone down and clean up my room for when she comes over later. She was staying at my house for tonight, and then she was leaving again tomorrow morning. I'd drop her off at the train station and then go straight on to school.

Liam walks over to me and grins slightly.

"Remember that time I gave you-"

"five bucks, and I never gave it back, blabla. Do you need me to drive you to Prim's again?" I ask and roll my eyes. He chuckles and nods his head. I sigh and stretch my arms.

"You're going to have to find your own way of getting there, I'm getting real tired of driving you there nearly _every day_."

"Oh come on, pleeeease?" He asks and looks at me with what I call 'the puppy-eyes'. I roll my eyes and grab my keys. He grins and slaps my back softly.

"Thanks, Louis."

**Katniss' POV**

By the time we're dressed Peeta sighs and looks up again.

"I still can't believe that just happened. I hate them. I hate them both _so_ much right now." He says and glares at the door. I chuckle and give his hand a squeeze. After the unbelievably embarrassing start of breakfast, Mr. Mellark had changed the subject and we talked like no one said anything about last night, or the gigantic hickey on Peeta's neck. For some strange reason, I found myself feeling proud when I looked at it. I bring my hand up to his neck and touch it softly. He rolls his eyes. "Yeah, by the way, thanks for the _enormous_ hickey." He murmurs. I chuckle and bring my hand down to his again.

"It isn't _that_ big.." I say. He snorts and I smile. "At least you know what I felt like when you gave me one." I say. He nods slightly and then looks up with a mischievous grin.

"I think we should have matching hickeys." He says as he grabs my waist. I gasp and put my hands on his shoulders, pushing him away.

"Don't you even think about it, Mellark." He leans in and I put my head down, and my shoulders up, so he can't really get to my neck. He chuckles and rolls his eyes. Then he leans back and picks up my dress and high heels, which were on the floor. We go downstairs, and I go into the kitchen to say goodbye to Peeta's father.

"Thanks for letting me stay." I say and smile. He looks up and smiles as well.

"Anytime, Katniss." He says and smiles. Then his smile fades a bit as he remembers what we talked about at breakfast. I look down and walk out again. Peeta chuckles and we go over to my house. Prim opens the door for us and smiles.

"Hi! Have a good time last night?" She asks. We all walk in and follow her to the living room, where Rue's watching tv on the sofa. We say hello to her and then sit down as well.

"Um, yeah. Dancing was okay, until Justin punched Peeta." I say. Prim and Rue gasp and look at Peeta with wide eyes. Prim points at his hickey.

"Did he punch you there?" She asks. Peeta turns his head slightly and smirks at me.

"Um, no, he punched Peeta's nose. It was bleeding and everything. But anyway, I slapped Sophia really hard to make up for it, as it was all her fault." I say quickly, trying to let Prim and Rue forget about the 'bruise' on Peeta's neck. Prim sighs and shakes her head slightly.

"Again, Katniss? Really?" She says. Rue and Peeta laugh as I roll my eyes. Before anyone can say anything again, the doorbell goes. Prim grins and goes to get it as Rue rolls her eyes.

"Liam." She says. We nod and a few seconds later, Prim, Liam and Louis walk in. I can't help but notice Louis looks really tired.

"Louis, you look like crap. What's wrong?" Peeta asks. We all laugh as Louis glares at him for a second and then chuckles. He sits down next to us and I notice Liam give Prim a quick kiss in the corner. I clear my throat loudly and they both jump and turn around. I chuckle as they sit on the floor in front of us.

"Just couldn't sleep." Louis says. We nod slightly. Peeta asks what Louis' gonna do today. He grins and runs a hand through his hair.

"Isabel's coming over today." He says with a proud smile on his face.

"Oh, I _have_ to meet her. Will you come over to my house later? I'll invite Madge too, and Katniss will be there." Peeta says. Louis chuckles and shrugs slightly.

"Alright. Just don't scare her." He says. We laugh as Peeta slaps his arm softly. Then Louis' hand freezes in his hair as he stares at Peeta's neck. He looks up at me and smirks. Rue and Prim just look at him in confusion, until they look at Peeta's neck again. After a few seconds they both realize it's _not_ a bruise, but a hickey. For the second time today, I feel everybody staring at me. Louis, Liam, Prim, Rue, and even Peeta. I look down and change the channel a few times. Then they all laugh and shake their head slightly.

"Um, anyway, I'll call Madge." I say and pick up the phone. I dial in her number and wait for a few seconds until she answers.

"Hi Madge, it's me, Katniss. Are you coming over?" I ask.

"Oh, hi Katniss. Yeah, sure, I'll be over in half an hour. See you later!" She says and hangs up. I smile and put the phone down. Then we all watch some tv. After a while Madge comes as well. It's a bit crowded at the moment, as there are seven people in my small living room, but it's nice, and we have fun. We also have lunch together, finishing the cheese buns Peeta had made, until Louis stands up and says he has to collect Isabel from the train station. We walk him to the door and tell him to come over to Peeta's later. He smiles and says he will.

Peeta turns to Liam, Prim and Rue and smiles. "Do you guys wanna come over to my place as well?" He asks. They look at each other and shrug.

"Okay. I've never seen your house before.." Prim says. Peeta gasps and grabs her hand, making Liam look jealous for a moment.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Peeta says and drags her outside. We all laugh and follow. We walk inside and Liam, Rue and Prim gasp.

"This is beautiful.." Rue says. Peeta smiles and thanks her. The six of us (Peeta, Madge, Liam, Rue, Prim and I) walk into the living room and say hello to Rye and Leo. They smile and introduce themselves to Rue and Liam. Then we all sit down on the sofa, or on the floor. I sit on the floor, next to Peeta. He wraps one arm around my waist and kisses my temple once. I smile and watch as Rue happily talks to Leo about District 11. Liam's talking to Prim, and Madge's talking to Rye.

After about half an hour the doorbell rings. Nobody moves so I go and get it. I open the door and find Louis with his arm wrapped around a girls' waist. I smile as Louis grins at me. The girl looked a bit familiar. When she sees me her eyebrows furrow a bit, as if she was thinking the same thing. I leave them in as Louis introduces us to each other.

"Katniss, this is Isabel. Isabel, Katniss." He says. Isabel says hi to me and I smile. We walk inside and everyone turns around. Peeta and Madge jump up and run over to us. They both put their hands out and shake Isabel's hand.

"Hi, I'm Peeta, and this is Madge, you-" Peeta says and stops mid-sentence. His eyes are wide as he turns around and looks behind him. She isn't looking at him. She's looking at someone behind him as well. I follow her eyes and see Leo sitting on the ground, his jaw dropped and eyes wide open. Everybody falls silent as Louis starts rubbing the back of his neck. Of course, how had I not recognized her? This was Leo's Isabel!

"Isabel." Leo say softly, getting up. He walks over to her and we all step backwards, giving them enough space. Isabel swallows once and then blinks.

"Leo." She whispers. Leo bites on his bottom lip and looks down.

"Well.. you know each other?" Madge says, breaking the awkward silence. They both nod slightly as I look at Louis. He lied. He looks at both of them with a worried face. Peeta blinks and then claps his hands once.

"Who wants a sandwich?" He asks. Everybody smiles and nods their heads. He goes into the kitchen and comes back with a big tray a few minutes later. We all sit down on the floor, in a circle. I notice Leo chose to sit as far away from Isabel as possible. There was Louis, next to him Isabel, then Liam, Prim, Rue, _Leo_, Peeta, me, Rye, and next to Louis again, Madge.

We all eat our sandwiches in silence as Rye, Peeta and Madge try to start a conversation.

"So, Prim, how's Buttercup?" Rye asks. Prim nods slightly and says he's fine. Silence again. Everybody was glancing at Louis, Leo and Isabel, who looked _very_ confused at the moment.

"Peeta, what did you put in these sandwiches? They're really nice." Madge says. Peeta grins and tells us about how he always puts the tiniest bit of salt in sandwiches, because it makes them ten times nicer. Silence again.

After about five minutes of total silence, Leo looks up at Louis. "Why did you lie to me about Isabel having a brother?" He asks. Isabel looks up at Louis with a confused face, and Louis just sighs.

"I don't know. Really. It just slipped out." He says and shrugs slightly. Leo nods and looks down again.

"Why were you talking about me?" Isabel asks as she raises an eyebrow and looks at Louis and Leo. They both swallow and look at each other. They both stay silent, so Peeta decides he should do the talking.

"Louis, Madge, Katniss, Leo and I were here yesterday, and Louis started telling us that he just came back from District 10, because he was visiting his girlfriend." He begins. Louis nods slightly and Peeta goes on. "Then he said that her, well, your, name is Isabel, and Leo.. got a shock." He says. Leo looks down again and Isabel nods her head slightly.

"Leo kinda got angry and tried to punch Louis, but being the hero I am, I got up and Leo accidentally punched me instead." He says. We all laugh except for Leo, Louis and Isabel. Peeta clears his throat and continues. "Then Louis mentioned that your _brother_ had introduced the two of you to each other, and Leo realized they were both talking about a different Isabel. Well, he _thought_ they were both talking about a different Isabel, but, um, you're here, so I suppose they weren't." He then says. Isabel looks up again and stares at Leo.

"Why did you get angry?" She asks softly. Leo looks up for a moment and then stares at his hands on his lap again. He shrugs slightly. We all know. Everyone in the room knows Leo still has feelings for Isabel. But he can't say that, because she's dating Louis. The tension in the room at the moment is unbelievable. Liam, Rue and Prim must notice because they stand up and go to the kitchen. They didn't want to be a part of all of this drama.

Suddenly my head snaps up as I hear Isabel say something.

"You can't just hit my boyfriend because he's dating me! That isn't normal! Why would you hit Louis?!" She says loudly. Leo looks up and puts his hands up.

"Because I still love you, that's why!" He yells. He breathes in and out for a few moments and then lowers his hands again. He looks down and pinches the bridge of his nose. Isabel looks shocked. She clears her throat and stands up.

"Louis, I think we should go home." She says softly. He nods slightly and gets up as well. Isabel turns to us and smiles slightly. "It was nice to meet you, Madge. And nice seeing you again." She says as she looks at Peeta, Rye and I. We nod and smile at her. They walk out and after a few seconds we hear the front door close. We all turn to Leo. He looks up at us and then looks at the window. He gets up and walks upstairs, without saying anything.

"Well." Rye says and runs a hand through his hair. Peeta sighs and massages his head.

"Should we go and talk to him?" Peeta asks. Rye shakes his head.

"No. He needs some time to think." Rye says. Well, I never thought I'd hear Rye sound so.. mature. Peeta nods slightly. Then Liam, Prim and Rue walk out of the kitchen. They see Louis and Isabel are missing.

"What happened?" Prim asks. Peeta explains the whole thing and they all gasp. After a few moments Liam looks up and frowns.

"How am I supposed to get home later?" He asks. We all laugh and Peeta rolls his eyes.

"I'll drop you off." He says. Liam smiles and thanks him. We all talk for another while, until it's already dinner time. The day went so quick. Madge and Rue go home, and Peeta, Prim, Liam and I get into Peeta's car to drive Liam home. After ten minutes we're there. Liam glances at us as Peeta stops the car. He glances at Prim's lips and then back at me. I roll my eyes and look the other way for a few moments. I hear him give Prim a quick kiss and then look back. He smiles at me and thanks us for dropping him off. Then he goes inside and we go home. After ten minutes we get out, and Peeta walks us to our porch. Prim goes inside, saying she'll give us some _privacy_. Peeta chuckles as he wraps his arms around my waist.

"I had fun last night. But we're not going dancing again." He says. I laugh and put my hands on his cheeks. We smile at each other for a moment and then give each other a kiss. Peeta sighs. "I'll pick you up at eight." He says. I nod and he releases me. He turns around and is about to walk away, but I grab his wrist.

"Oh, and Peeta?" I say. He turns his head and looks at me. "Sorry about the hickey." I whisper and smirk, just like he did. He laughs and gives me a kiss on the cheek. Then he walks away and I go inside.

**Leo's POV**

_Why_ did I say that? _Why_ did I say I still love her? There's nothing else I could have said to make it any worse. Why didn't I just say I didn't want Louis to date her, or even that I still _liked_ her. But no, of course, I had to use the word 'love'. I sigh and rub my eyes. Louis probably hated me now, which was a shame, as I was starting to see him as a friend. Isabel just looked confused.

I hear someone knock on my door and look up.

"Leo? It's me- Peeta." He says softly. I sigh and tell him to come in. He comes in with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. If I wasn't so depressed and confused at the moment I would chuckle. Peeta was so caring, and he always knew exactly what to do. He sits down next to me and hands me the glass of milk.

"Thanks." I mumble as I take a sip. He nods slightly and looks down.

"So. You still love Isabel." He says softly, in a sweet voice. I nod slightly and pick at a cookie. "I'm sorry for inviting them over." He says and looks down again. I look up and shake my head.

"It's not your fault." I say. He smiles slightly and grabs a cookie. We eat in silence for a moment.

"Why didn't you tell me you still loved her?" He then asks. I shrug.

"I don't know. Didn't think it was necessary." I say. Peeta sighs and rolls his eyes.

"If you still love her, why didn't you call her after she broke up with you?" He says and narrows his eyes. I swallow and look down.

"I did. Multiple times. She ignored my calls." I try to say, but it comes out as a weak whisper. Peeta puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes softly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"You know, I don't think she actually even likes Louis. Did you see the way she nearly flinched when he grabbed her hand?" He then says. I shake my head. Peeta nods slightly. "It's sad for Louis, but I think she doesn't like him _at all_." He says. I smile slightly. For some reason that made me feel better.

"Thanks." I say. Peeta smiles and stands up.

"You're welcome." He says before he grabs a cookie and walks out of my room again. I had to admit, my brother always knew exactly what to say.

**Author's Note: I hope you liked the chapter. I'm sorry if it's not that good, but I still don't feel amazing, and I'm still really tired so I couldn't really concentrate while writing it. ( Yes, I have slept for nearly 48 hours, but I am still tired. I don't get it either. Stupid sickness. ) **

**So, anyway, I'd like to thank you all for the reviews. _791_. Nearly 800. You guys are amazing, seriously. I'll try and update tomorrow again. But I won't promise anything, because I don't want to disappoint you all again. Thanks for reading! :)**


	45. Chapter 45

**Author's Note: ENOBARIA, BRUTUS AND GLOSS HAVE BEEN CAST! Meta Golding will be playing Enobaria, Brutus is being played by Bruno Gunn, and Alan Ritchson is Gloss! :D Okay, anyway, _831_ reviews. Hell yeah! Thank you all sooo much. And thanks to all of the people that sent me 'get-well-soon' messages, I really appreciated it! I can gladly tell you all that I'm better and ready to write another chapter. I would have updated yesterday, but my mom thought fresh air and sun would be good for me, so she basically made me stay outside for like six hours. Ugh. Anyway, here's chapter 45, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 45_

**Peeta's POV**

I hate that bloody alarm clock. Ugh. I was in the middle of a _nice_ dream. I open my eyes and fiddle with the buttons on my alarm clock. Then I yawn and stretch my arms. At least it wasn't raining today. Well, not yet, anyway. I get up and walk downstairs. Everybody looked so zombie-like this morning. I sit down and grab some bread.

"Morning." I say. Rye just ignores me and takes another bite of his bread, Leo nods once, and my father chuckles.

"Morning son. Sleep well?" He asks. I shrug slightly.

"Yeah." Then there's silence as we all eat our breakfast. Everybody looked so miserable. So I try and lighten up the mood. "Is Mom still gone?" This grabs their attention. Rye looks up with a grin on his face, and Leo has a small smirk. My father sighs.

"Yeah. But I'm positive she took the train to District 7, to stay with that friend of hers for a few days." He says, as if making sure we know she's safe. We all nod and finish our breakfast. Then I go upstairs and put on some clothes. I look in the mirror and run a hand through my hair. I do my teeth, put some deodorant on and then decide I'm ready to go. I grab my bag and car keys, and head outside.

"See you all later!" I yell as I close the door. Ugh, why didn't I grab my coat, it's bloody freezing. Oh well. I get in the car and turn the heating on. Then I drive five meters, so I'm outside of Katniss' door. I honk once, and a few seconds later I see her closing the door behind her. She waves at me and then gets in the car. She sits down and sighs.

"Hi." She says. I smile and say good morning. She smiles as well and gives me a quick kiss. Then I start the car and we ride to school.

"Is your mother back yet?" She asks. I shake my head and grin. She chuckles and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. After a few minutes we're at school. I turn the heating off and get out of the car. Then I open Katniss' door for her. When I was younger, about 12 or something, Leo told me that I should always be a gentlemen when it comes to girls. Opening doors, holding their bag for them, things like that. It's one of the only advices that I've actually listened to. Katniss smiles and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I close her door and slide my fingers into hers. She gives them a soft squeeze as we walk to Madge, who for some reason, is way earlier than usual.

"Since when are you so early?" Katniss asks, thinking the same thing. Madge looks up and rolls her eyes.

"Benedict thought we were too late, but we were actually too early. I've been standing here for like, ten minutes already." She says and rolls her eyes again. Benedict? Katniss looks at me and sees the confusion.

"It's her chauffeur." She explains. Oh. Madge nods and we walk to school. We go to the lockers and I grab my books. Suddenly I feel someone punching my arm. I look to my left and see one of my friends, Harry.

"Hey dude, what's up?" He asks as he leans against the locker next to mine.

"Not much, you?"

"Same. Hey, shall we hang out later?" He asks. I close my locker and lean against it, next to him.

"I don't know man, I think I'm doing something with Katniss."

"Oh come on, the last time we hung out was literally weeks ago! You're always hanging out with Katniss." He moans. I see Katniss glare at him as she and Madge stand next to us. She puts an arm around my right arm, and I can't help but think how cute she is when she's all protective and jealous. But Harry was right, the last time I hung out with him, or some of my other friends, was weeks ago. Maybe even months. I sigh.

"Alright, I suppose you're right. I'll see you after school." I say. He smiles and gives me a high-five before walking away. I turn to Katniss and give her a quick kiss. She rolls her eyes and we walk to our first class. I sit down in front of Katniss and Madge, in my assigned seat. I hated it. Like this I could barely talk to Katniss or Madge. But at least I was sitting next to one of my other friends, Roger. He bumps my fist as he sits down.

"How ya doing?" He asks as he grabs his books.

"Fine, fine. You?"

"I'm good. Hey, Harry told me we're hanging out later. Are we going to your house?" He asks. I shrug.

"Okay." He says. The teacher walks in and I slide a bit closer to Roger so we can talk.

"So how's Abby?" I ask with a smirk. He looks at me and punches my arm as his cheeks turn pink. I chuckle and roll my eyes.

"She's fine. _Very_ fine." He says. We both laugh. "How's Katniss?" He asks. I turn around and see her nearly-asleep with her head on her desk. That girl really needed to rest more.

"She's.. fine." I say as I turn around again.

"Very fine?"

"_Very_ fine." I say with a grin. We both chuckle again. We talk for a while, and listen to the teacher. After a while the bell rings and we stand up.

"Peet, can you help me?" He asks as he puts a hand on my arm to keep me from walking away.

"What with?"

"I need you to be my wingman. I'm going to walk up to Abby in a minute." He says and glances at Abby, who is now walking towards the canteen. What does a wingman do? He sees the confusion in my eyes and sighs.

"Just- I don't know, make me look good or something, okay?" He says as he drags me with him. I turn around and gesture to Madge and Katniss that I have no idea what's happening, and that I'll be with them in ten minutes. Madge puts up a thumb and I turn around again. We walk into the canteen and find Abby standing with one of her friends. Roger freezes and his grip on my arm tightens.

"You know what, never mind, let's go back." He then says and tries to turn around. I put a hand on his shoulder and he stops again.

"Roger, stop being a pussy." I say. He sighs and turns around again. We walk towards them slowly, and Abby's friend elbows Abby when she sees us coming. Abby freezes and her friend smirks. Was Abby's friend a wingman as well? Or, well, a wing_woman_? We stop in front of them and Abby and Roger both just look down. There's a silence and I nearly laugh. This was so awkward.

"Hi." I say. I stick out my hand. "I'm Peeta." Abby's friend sticks out her hand and smirks slightly.

"I'm Karen, and this is Abby." She says. Abby shakes my hand and then just stares at Roger. He pulls at his collar and scratches his jaw slightly.

"This is my good friend, Roger." I say. They both shake his hand when Karen says something interesting.

"Oh, we know that. Don't we, Abby?" She says and smirks at her. Abby's cheeks go red as she looks down. Karen elbows me softly and winks. That's when I decide we're on the same team, trying to get our friends to talk to each other. But what do I do now?

"Oh, by the way Roger, congratulations on your A for maths." I say. As soon as it's out of my mouth I realize that sounds really dorky. Roger turns his head and looks at me like 'really?'. Karen claps her hands once.

"You're good at maths? That's so handy, because Abby was just talking about how she needed some help! Maybe you could go to her house later for an hour or two!" She says. I grin and give her a small thumbs up. Roger and Abby both freeze again and look at each other.

"I- I- Uh, yeah, I could help you. I mean, if y-you want, of course." Roger says. Poor guy. He looked so nervous. Abby gives him a smile and I can nearly see Roger's eyes soften.

"That would be nice." She says. Roger lets out a breath he probably didn't know he was holding. Then they both look down and I clear my throat.

"Well, nice talking to you both!" I say and grab Roger's arm to turn him around. Karen says goodbye and we walk away. After a few seconds I look around and see Karen jumping happily, and Abby looking shocked with red cheeks. I pat Roger's back as we walk out of the canteen. He turns around and looks at me with wide eyes.

"I FUCKING _LOVE_ YOU!" He says and pulls me in for a hug. He squeezes really tight, and it nearly hurts. I chuckle.

"Save those words for Abby." I say as I give him a high-five. He laughs and shakes his head slightly. Then he freezes and looks at me with wide eyes.

"What?" I ask.

"I- I don't know where she lives." He says. I slap my forehead and sigh.

"Well go back and ask then." I say. He swallows once and turns around, but just as he wants to walk back into the canteen, we see two hands pushing Abby out. Then the two hands close the door and Abby looks at us. I'm positive those two hands were Karen's. I chuckle softly as I see Roger freeze.

"Hi Abby." I say. She looks at me, like she just realized I was also here, and smiles.

"Hi Peeta, Roger." She says. Then she swallows. Roger turns to me.

"Peeta, I think Katniss is waiting for you." He says. Oh, so now he wanted me to go? No way, I wanted to see what was gonna happen.

"No, I told her I'd be there in ten minutes, I have time." I say and smirk at him. He glares at me for a moment before stepping closer to Abby.

"Um, hi." He says. She smiles.

"Hi. I was thinking, you probably don't know where I live.." She says. He nods. "So, here." She gives him a piece of paper. He looks at the paper for a moment and then looks up again.

"I'm looking forward to.. um, later." He says sheepishly. She chuckles.

"Yeah, me too." She says softly. Then she puts a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll see you later." She says. Her hand slides down his arm and ends at his hand. She takes a step backwards and drops his hand. She gives him a smile and then turns around and walks back into the canteen. I watch for a few moments as Roger runs his other hand down his arm. Then he turns around and looks at the paper again. His eyes widen and I walk over to him. I grab the piece of paper and look at it. Not only did it say where she lived, but also her phone number.

I look up and give him a high-five. He grins and puts the piece of paper in his pocket.

"You're the best wingman ever, dude."

**Katniss' POV**

"Girl time!" Madge squeals as she sits down next to me. Where was Peeta? Then I notice him in the corner of the canteen, with Roger, talking to two girls. Hmm. I turn to Madge as she puts down her bag.

"So, how's your relationship with Peeta?" She asks. I chuckle.

"Um, good?" I say. She nods slightly.

"You know, Gale's taking me on a date when he comes over." She says.

"Really? You've never said that before!" I say sarcastically. She chuckles and rolls her eyes. I look at Peeta again and see one of the girls winking at him. _What_ did she just do? I sigh and roll my eyes. I was so jealous. I really had to work on that. I take a bite from my sandwich and realize Madge has been talking for the past minute.

".. but on the third night they want to go drinking, just the three of them." She says.

"Who?" I ask. She rolls her eyes again.

"Gale, Finnick and Peeta. They're going drinking the third night they come over. Or, well, Finnick and Gale are, and they said they're dragging Peeta with them." She says and chuckles. Wait, wasn't Peeta too young to drink?

"But anyway, as I was saying, we're going to have a girls night that night. You, me, and Annie." She says. I smile. We talk for another while, until the bell rings. Still no Peeta. Madge and I stand up and grab our bags. "Well, I'm going to class, I'll see you later!" Madge says as she walks away. I say goodbye and then turn around. I walk out of the canteen and see Peeta talking to Roger. I walk up to him and he turns around. He smiles and puts an arm around my waist.

"Anyway, I'm going to class. Thanks Peeta, I'll see you later!" Roger says with what seems like a never-fading grin. Peeta smiles and then turns to me. He puts both arms around my waist and gives me a quick kiss.

"Who were those two girls?" I ask as we walk around school. We stop and sit on one of the stairs. Peeta sits next to me and puts an arm around my waist.

"Oh, Roger has a gigantic crush on one of them, so I was his wingman." He says. He sees my confused look and then explains the whole thing. "..So, I did quite an amazing job." He then says and grins smugly. I roll my eyes.

"All you did was congratulate Roger on his A." I say.

"Yes, but if I hadn't, he wouldn't have been going to her house later." He says. I roll my eyes again and lay my head on his shoulder. He gives me a kiss on the cheek and then puts both arms around me. "Talking about going to someone's house later, what are you gonna do after school? You'll have to find something to do." He says. I nearly snort. It's like he's saying I'd have a boring life without him. Okay, I probably would, but still.

"I think I'm going to go hunting." I say.

"Oh."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing.. I just- are you sure you- I mean, you-"

"Spit it out, Peeta." He sighs.

"Are you sure you'll be safe? I mean, you used to have Gale, but now you'll be alone. What if anything happens?" He says softly. I look up and see actual fear in his eyes. I put a hand on his cheek and give him a soft kiss.

"I've gone hunting alone before, you know." I say.

"Okay, but what if something happens? Then there will be no one to help you." He says.

"Well, then, how about you come over before dinner, or call me, or even just look through your bedroom window, and if I'm not at home, you go to the woods to look for me?" I say. He sighs.

"Alright then. Just look out. I don't want anything to harm your pretty face." He says and grins mischievously. I chuckle and Peeta leans in. After a few seconds I lean back and he pouts.

"Oh no, we're not making out at school anymore. Remember P.E. and detention?" I say. He sighs and kisses the top of my head once.

"Fine, but I bet you're just too scared anyone will see us and judge you." He says. I raise an eyebrow.

"I don't care what others think of me. They can see us if they want." I say.

"Oh, really? Prove it." He says and smirks at me. I narrow my eyes and stare at him. I should have known he'd trick me into kissing him _somehow_. I lean forward and kiss him gently. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me onto his lap. After a few seconds I forget leaning back, and people seeing us, and detention. All I can think about are Peeta's lips.

**Louis' POV**

"Are you alright?"

"Could everyone stop asking me that? I'm _fine._" I hiss. They both raise an eyebrow and look at each other. I sigh. "I'm sorry guys. I'm just not in the mood for anything at the moment, okay?" I say. They both nod and turn around again. I lay my head on my desk and think of last night.

_Flashback_

"_Is everything okay? You seem a bit quiet." I say as I lay a hand on her arm. She nearly jumps and looks at me with wide eyes._

"_I- I'm fine. Let's just watch a movie or something." She says as she stands up and walks over to the sofa. I put on a romantic movie, close the door and all the curtains, and turn off the lights. Then I sit down next to her. When she realizes it's a romantic movie, her face scrunches up a bit, and she leans away from me ever so slightly. Well, not the reaction I expected. The movie starts and I casually rest my arm on her shoulders. She flinches and I feel myself getting aggravated._

"_Will you just tell me what's wrong?" I ask. _

"_Nothing's wrong, really."_

"_Well then why are you acting like I'm a stranger? Why do you jump when I touch you, and lean away when I sit next to you?" I say loudly. She was just being so weird. I've touched her before. I've held her in my arms. We've made out. So why was she being so distant?_

"_Is it Leo?" I then ask. She breathes in and out slowly and stares at my feet. I swallow when I realize that she isn't answering. "Okay." I say softly. She looks up at me with hurt eyes._

"_I don't like him-"_

"_You obviously do." _

"_I.. I'm just really confused right now, okay?" She says softly. I sigh and look down. "Can you bring me to the train station?" She then asks._

"_Yeah, I'm bringing you in the morning." I say. She shakes her head._

"_No, I mean.. now."_

I snap back to reality and shake my head slightly. I really liked Isabel. And as much as I'd like to blame Leo for what happened yesterday, I can't. It isn't Leo's fault that Isabel is a messed up, confused, hot teenager who doesn't know who and what she wants.

But the worst thing about what happened yesterday, is that she didn't even say if she broke up with me. So now I didn't know if I was still with her or not. When I dropped her off at the train station, less than an hour after she arrived in District 12, the train that had brought her was still there. They were just about to leave. So she just said goodbye, and that she'd call me later that night. She never did.

Maybe I should go and talk to Leo tomorrow. I mean, maybe she had called him. Or at least he knew what I was going through, after her dumping him about a month ago. I sigh and just rest my head on my desk again.

**Peeta's POV**

The rest of the day goes pretty quick. Katniss and I make out during our whole free period. Then I have another few useless classes, like History, Biology, English, Geography, and then luckily Art. When Art class is over, I've painted a beautiful Primrose in a dark pink vase, and Katniss has painted the beach of District 4. The teacher tells us we can keep the paintings, so I decide to give mine to Prim later. Katniss, Madge and I walk to our lockers, where I find Harry and Roger waiting for me.

".. And then I found out she wrote her number on it too!" Roger says enthusiastically. I chuckle and they both turn around. "Oh, hey _wingman_." He says and grins. I say hi to both of them and then grab my books.

"So, my house?" I ask. They both nod and I slide my hand into Katniss'. I would love to invite her, but I don't think the boys would really appreciate it. We walk outside, say goodbye to Madge, and all get into my car. Harry and Roger take the back seats. I put the heating on and start driving home.

"So, Katniss. What is it like to be Peeta's girlfriend?" Harry asks.

"It must be _horrible_." Roger says and rolls his eyes dramatically. I would turn around and slap them both, but I have to keep my hands on the wheel.

"It's not as bad as you would expect, actually." Katniss says and smiles at me. I smile back at her and Harry snorts.

"Yeah right. What is a girl like _you_, doing with a guy like _him_?" He says. I turn around and glare at him.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" He laughs.

"Don't worry, I'm only messing." He says and turns my head around again so I'm watching the road. Katniss and Roger chuckle and I roll my eyes. Roger clears his throat.

"You've got some wicked hickey-making skills, Katniss." Roger says. I nearly crash the car. Katniss freezes and looks down, and Harry laughs uncontrollably. I put my shoulders up a bit, hiding my neck, which makes them laugh even more. After a few minutes we're finally home. I get out of the car and wrap my arms around Katniss' waist.

"Be careful. Please." I say. She smiles and nods. I lean in and kiss her, and she puts her arms around my neck.

"Duuuude, come on." Roger moans. I lean back and chuckle. I give Katniss a quick kiss on the cheek and then walk home. We all go inside and go to the kitchen.

"Hi Mr. Mellark." Roger says. My father turns around and smiles.

"Hi boys." He says. Then he looks behind us. "Where's Katniss?" He asks.

"She's at home." I say. My father raises his eyebrows and looks at Harry and Roger.

"How did you get him to hang out without Katniss?" He asks. The boys chuckle and I roll my eyes. We all grab a sandwich and then sit in the living room. We sprawl out on the sofa and turn on the tv. We talk for a while, joking around and asking Harry about which girl he's dating at the moment.

"This blonde, she's called Tara." He says and grins. Roger frowns.

"I thought she was called Tasha?" He says. Harry frowns as well for a second and then nods.

"You're right, it's Tasha." He says. We laugh. Harry was such a player. In the last three months he's dated about 13 girls. And nearly every time he'd say 'oh, she's the one! I love her so much!' And then he'd dump her or she'd dump him a few days later. It was the same story _every time_.

"So, Roger, when are you going to Abby's?" Harry asks and wiggles his eyebrows.

"In an hour. And stop wiggling your eyebrows, you look really stupid." He says and slaps him with a pillow. We laugh and I shake my head slightly.

"So are you gonna kiss her?" I ask. Roger freezes as his cheeks go red.

"Dude, what's wrong? It's like you've never kissed anyone before." Harry says. Roger's cheeks turn even darker and Harry's jaw drops. "Are you serious?!" He yells. Roger looks down and nods slightly. "Jezus dude, you're 17." He says. Roger slaps his arm and rolls his eyes. Then he looks up and frowns.

"What do I say? And, like what do I do? Do I just lean in and kiss her?" He says. I shake my head.

"First you tell her you like her. Then you stare into her eyes for just a moment longer than usual. She'll melt and stuff and then you brush her cheek softly. You lean in slowly and give her a really small, soft kiss. After that you just say goodbye and walk away, and she'll be shocked and stuff." I say. Harry snorts and rolls his eyes.

"Oh, please. You don't need all that romantic crap. Just put your hands on her cheeks and kiss her." He says. Roger frowns and looks at me.

"Yeah, I think I'll just go with Peeta's idea. Just to be safe." He says. I laugh and Harry rolls his eyes. The hour goes by really quick, and then they both have to leave. I walk them to the door and put a hand on Roger's shoulder.

"Don't forget to talk." I say with a small smirk, remembering when we walked up to the girls today. He rolls his eyes and Harry chuckles. They walk away and I close the door again. What to do, what to do. I could see if Katniss was back yet. She wouldn't be though, she probably just left a few minutes ago. I could go see Madge, but I think she mentioned going to another party with her father. Maybe Louis? Oh, wait, maybe he didn't want to see me because of what happened between him, Isabel and Leo.

And so there's only one person left. I grab my painting and walk outside. I knock on the door and Prim opens it. She smiles. "Hi Peeta!" She says.

"Hi Prim. Can I come in?" I ask. She nods and opens the door wider. I walk in and follow her to the living room.

"Katniss isn't here, she went to the woods... Are you two fighting?" She asks as she grabs some cookies for both of us. I chuckle and shake my head.

"Nah, but I was hanging out with some friends. I knew she wouldn't be here. I came here to see you." I say. She sits next to me on the sofa and I grab a cookie. "So how are you? Where's Liam?" I ask. She smiles.

"I'm fine. Liam had to stay home for his little sister, because his dad had to go somewhere." She says. I nod slightly and take a bite from my cookie. Then I see her glancing at the rolled up painting in my hand. I clear my throat and she looks up at me.

"Prim, I made you this painting." I say and grin as I hand her the painting. She rolls it open and her jaw drops as her eyes scan the whole thing.

"Peeta, this is beautiful!" She exclaims. I smile. She gives me a big hug and then looks at it again. "Why did you paint this for me? You didn't have to." She says. I shrug.

"I'm just an awesome person. And I love you, you know." I say and mess up her hair. She chuckles and straightens her hair again. Then she gives me another big hug.

"Thanks Peeta. I'm gonna hang it up right now!" She says as she runs out of the kitchen and up to her room. And then I was alone. Again. A few seconds later, her mother walks in. Uh oh. I liked her mother, as she was a nice person in general, but she kinda scared me as well, being Katniss' mom and everything. I sit up straight and look at her.

"Hi Mrs. Everdeen. You look lovely today." I say and smile. She smiles back and straightens her skirt.

"Thanks you, it's a new skirt. Do you like it?" She asks. I nod as she turns around a little bit.

"It's really nice." _My father will love it_. I nearly say it out loud. She smiles and thanks me again. Then she sits down at the table and looks at me. I swallow as she stays silent, staring at me.

"Where's Katniss?" She says after a while.

"She's, uh, in the woods. I was hanging out with friends earlier so she decided to.. go to the woods." I say. Did I really just say she went to the woods twice? Stupid nerves. Mrs. Everdeen nods slightly and nearly asks another question, but Prim walks in.

"Peeta, it looks perfect, come and see." She says and pulls me off of the sofa. Wow, she was strong for a 13-year-old girl. We go upstairs and I walk into her room. I had never been in here before. I look around. There was a big window, and the room looked the same size as Katniss'. There was a big closet in the corner, and a big pillow on the ground next to it, for Buttercup I presume. The walls were a light pink, with white windowsills. I sit down on her neatly made bed and smile when I find my painting, in the middle of the wall.

"You're right, it really goes well with your room." I say and gesture around. She nods and smiles. I look on her bedside table and see a small picture frame, with a photo of a man in it. I pick it up carefully and look closer.

"Is this your father?" I ask softly. She scoots closer to me so she can see, and then nods. I could see the resemblance between him and Katniss. The colors in the photo were faded, but you could still see the clear gray of his eyes, and his brown hair.

"Katniss looks like him, doesn't she?" Prim says, reading my thoughts. I nod and put the picture frame down again. Then I see another small picture frame. Inside was a picture of her and Liam, holding hands and smiling in the park. She blushes slightly and I smirk at her.

"Rue made that one.." She says softly as she tries to tug it away from me.

"Oh, are we getting embarrassed?" I ask as her cheeks turn redder. She rolls her eyes and I laugh. After a few moments I give it back and she glares at me for a moment. Then she just chuckles and shakes her head slightly. She puts the picture frame down and we go downstairs again. We sit on the sofa together and watch some tv. After about an hour the front door opens. A few seconds later Katniss walks in and I nearly gasp.

She was wearing a big, black coat, some special hunting boots, and she had her bow and arrows in her hand. A few stands of her braid were loose, and she looked really warm. But her cheeks and lips were dark red, probably from the cold. I stand up and walk over to her.

"You look _really_ badass right now." I whisper as I put two hands on her waist. She puts a hand on my chest and chuckles. I lean in and give her a long kiss, and I can practically hear Prim roll her eyes behind us. Then I lean back and smile. She turns around and puts her bow and arrows against the wall. Then she takes of her coat and her boots and turns to me.

"How long have you been waiting for me?" She asks as she takes her hair out of her braid. I snort.

"I wasn't waiting for you. I was chillin' with Prim." I say and turn around to grin at her. Prim grins back and Katniss nods slightly. Then I look at the clock.

"Okay, anyway, I better get home for dinner. It was nice to hang out with you, Prim." I say. She says goodbye to me and Katniss walks me to the porch. I give her a quick kiss and she smiles.

"Did you have fun with Roger and Harry?" She asks. I nod and she smiles again. "Good. Because _we_ are hanging out again tomorrow. _Alone_." She says and turns around casually. I can just catch a glimpse of a mischievous grin before she walks to the door and closes it behind her.

**Author's Note: So, like it? I didn't really, but yeah, that's life. Anyway, I need your help. I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I got a load of different reviews, and a load of different thoughts on Isabel. So I was wondering, do you all want Isabel to end up with Louis, Leo, or some other random guy? Now, because I'm too lazy to count all of the reviews I'd get with answers, I put up a poll, so go check it out! :) Your vote could change the whole story! Okay, maybe not the _whole_ story, but you know what I mean. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I'll update sometime in the next two days! **


	46. Chapter 46

**Author's Note: Helluuu, sorry my update's so late. I had to go to the optician to make sure my eyes haven't changed since six months ago. So I was sitting in the chair, after having waited for what felt like an hour, and I decided to read some fanfiction. Then one of the guys working there stood behind me and saw what I was reading, and he was like "Oh my god, you're a hunger games fan?!" And I was like "Um, yeah." Then he just gave me a high-five, saying that he was too. Then he asked if I had been waiting for a long time and I said yes, and he ordered one of the women to help me straight away. It was really cool. **

**I know none of you really care but I felt like telling you, so tada. By the way, E. Roger Mitchell will be playing Chaff, woohoo. Anywaaay, here's chapter 46, enjoy! I'll be starting with a Gale's POV, because I got a request from somebody, wondering what their lives in District 4 was like.**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 46_

**Gale's POV**

I walk downstairs and sit down at the table. My siblings smile at me, and my mother just nods once. My mother hadn't said anything for the past four days. Rory said it was probably because she got a bad fright. She fell down the stairs again, when we were at school. She only has a big bruise on her right arm, and a little cut on her temple, but she'll be fine. Posy looks up and grins at me. I smile back and then grab a sandwich. My mom's fiancee looks up from his plate and stares at me for a moment. Then he nods once and looks down again.

After a few moments he pushes his chair back and stands up, leaving the room. I lean over the table a bit and look at my mother.

"Are you sure you're alright?" I ask softly, so the kids don't hear. She looks at me for a moment and then nods.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." She says. I nod slightly and then stand up as well. I get ready for school and then give my mother a kiss on the top of the head. Posy runs up to me and gives me a big hug, and I chuckle, swinging her around. She giggles and I put her down again.

"I'll see you all later." I say as I walk out. They say goodbye and I get into my car. _My_ car. I loved my car. It just really felt like it was mine, and mine alone. I also had my bedroom, of course, but for some reason it still felt like it wasn't mine, but my soon-to-be-stepfather's. So when I was inside my car, I finally felt like I was in my own little space.

I turn the radio on and feel the warm wind blow against my face as I start driving. I remember Peeta telling me the weather in District 12 was unbelievably crap. They must be so jealous of our ever-lasting sun. Hehe.

After about ten minutes I'm at school. I park the car and see Finnick and Annie waiting for me, leaning against Annie's car. I walk over to them and smile.

"Hey Gale. How are you?" Annie asks as she walks in between us. We walk inside and I shrug slightly.

"I'm okay. How 'bout you?" I ask. She starts telling me that Madge told her that the three of them, Katniss, Madge and Annie, were going to have a girls night on the third night.

"That's the night we go drinking, isn't it?" Finnick asks with a small grin. We were both really looking forward to that night. Annie nods her head. We go to our first class, Biology, and Annie walks over to some of her friends. I sit down in my assigned seat, the one next to Finnick. This was where we started talking to each other, a few months ago. I remember that day as if it was yesterday. We were in the middle of class, and Finnick wasn't really paying any attention.

"Do you have _any_ idea what she's talking about?" He had asked softly. I didn't know who he was at the time. I chuckled slightly.

"Um, it's about.. how animals have.. intercourse." I whispered back. He frowned in confusion. "Animals getting laid." I then whispered. He started laughing, quite hard, and the teacher turned around. She looked way too young to be a teacher.

"Mr. Odair, do you want to tell the whole class why you're laughing?" She asked, crossing her arms. I remember being shocked when she said that. I didn't know I had been telling _the_ Finnick Odair, about animals getting laid. Everyone at school always talked about him, even the teachers. I had never known who he was though. Finnick looked up and gave the teacher a crooked smile.

"I'm sorry, miss." He said. The teacher swallowed and I saw a small blush creeping onto her cheeks. She sighed and turned around again, and Finnick turned to me.

"So what's your name?" He asked.

"I'm Gale."

"Oh, you're Hawthorne, right? You just came here from District 12 two weeks ago." My jaw dropped as I nodded slowly.

"How do you know that?" I asked. Finnick chuckled.

"I know a lot about everyone. People like to tell me their secrets. And I happen to know that some girls in this classroom have a crush on you already." He said. I turned my head and looked around the classroom. Finnick _must_ be joking. I turned to him again and raised an eyebrow. He nodded and then put out his hand.

"I'm Finnick Odair, by the way." He said, shaking my hand. I chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. I just found out." He raised one eyebrow.

"How do you know that?" He said, mimicking me, a few seconds ago.

"Well, every time I walk past a group of girls they're talking about you. And the teacher just called you Mr. Odair." I said. He chuckled.

"Oh. I forgot that the teacher just called me that." He said. He didn't seem surprised at all about the fact that all the girls talk about him. After that we just talked about the school, and he told me about Annie. By the end of the lesson I had made a new friend.

I look up and notice Finnick sitting on our table. He stretches his arms up, and his t-shirt rides up a little bit, showing the bottom of his belly. I hear a girl in the back of the classroom gasp softly and laugh.

"Look out, they might faint." I say as I nod my head to the back of the classroom. Finnick chuckles and rolls his eyes. I turn my head and see Annie walking over to us. She sits on the table next to Finnick, and he puts his arms around her.

"So are we going to the beach later?" Finnick asks. Annie and I nod. You'd think we'd all be sick of going to the beach, after going there nearly _every_ day, but we weren't. The teacher walks in and Finnick sits down on his chair, and Annie walks away and sits on her own. After one _long_ hour the bell rings and we go to the canteen. The three of us sit down at a table and eat. After a few minutes a small girl walks over to us. I immediately smirk at Finnick. He rolls his eyes and I look down again, chuckling softly.

"H-hi. Um, my friend was wondering if you'd like to hang out sometime." She says. I don't even look up, I know what Finnick always says. Whenever girls ask him things like that he gives them a speech about how he loves Annie, and that she's the only one for him. But after a few seconds I realize Finnick's silent.

"Gale?" The girls asks. My head snaps up and I look at her with wide eyes. "Did you hear what I just said? My friend-" I feel my cheeks burn and put up a hand to stop her.

"Y-yeah, I heard you. Um, I'm sorry, but I already- I mean, I, um- I already have a girlfriend." I stutter. The girl's smile falls and she frowns.

"Who?" She asks.

"Um, she doesn't live in District 4.." I say. The girl snorts and turns around, mumbling that I was probably lying, and that I probably didn't even have a girlfriend. Finnick and Annie laugh and I roll my eyes. After a while we go to our next class. The day goes by pretty quickly, and before I know it I'm at the lockers with Finnick, waiting for Annie. After a few minutes she comes running over to us with wide eyes.

"You will _not _believe what I just heard when I was in the toilet!" She yells.

"Do we really want to know?" Finnick says with a disgusted face. I chuckle and Annie rolls her eyes.

"I'm serious, this is unbelievable." She says.

"Well, tell us then." I say. She swallows once.

"Apparently that girl told her friends what you said, and now there are a load of rumors going around about you." She says. I frown.

"What rumors?" I ask. Annie closes her eyes for a second and sighs.

"Theythinkyou'regay." She says quickly, making it sound like one word. I gasp and Finnick looks at me with wide eyes. "Some of the girls were saying that they should have expected it because you're really hot, and you were single for months, or so they thought. If you weren't gay you would have had a girlfriend, according to them." Annie says.

"Wait, they think I'm hot?" I say and grin slightly. Finnick laughs and Annie rolls her eyes. "What am I supposed to do about this?" I say. Finnick and Annie both shrug. Then Finnick's eyes light up, like they always do when he has a plan. I raise an eyebrow and he grins. He turns around and puts his hands around his mouth.

"GALE HAWTHORNE IS NOT GAY!" He yells. Everybody in the hallway stops talking and stares at me. I stare at Finnick with wide eyes as he turns around and grins at me. "There you go, solved." He says and grins even wider.

**Peeta's POV**

I stop the car and we get out. I open my front door and say hello to my father, who was in the kitchen, eating a sandwich. He smiles.

"Hi kids. How was school?" He asks. I tell him it was fine, and then drag Katniss into the living room. I close the door and walk over to her slowly. I put my hands on her waist and brush her ear with my lips softly.

"You said something about wanting to be _alone_ with me yesterday?" I whisper. She shivers slightly as she feels my breath against her ear. I leave a trail of soft kisses across her jaw and feel her cheeks get warmer and warmer by the second.

"Uhu." She says. I smile and work up to her mouth. Then my hands tighten and pull her against me. She rests her hands on my chest, just under my collar. I kiss her passionately, and her hands go up and pull at my collar. It bunches up as her hands turn into fists. Just as I'm about to pick her up and put her legs around my waist, the doorbell rings. Katniss starts laughing really hard, because she knows that I _hate_ when this happens. I groan and take my hands off of Katniss' waist. I walk to the door and open it.

"Hi." Louis says, rubbing the back of his neck a bit.

"Oh, hi Louis. Are we going to the park?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Um, I'm sorry, I'm not here for you. I'm here for Leo. Is he upstairs?" He asks. I'm shocked. And I feel slightly rejected.

"Y-yeah, it's the second door to your right." I say as I open the door a bit wider. Louis thanks me and then walks upstairs. I close the door and walk over to Katniss.

"What's wrong?" She asks when she sees my confused face.

"Louis just went up to see Leo. I would have thought he'd be angry at Leo, forsaying he still loved Isabel." I say. Katniss nods slightly.

"What if they start fighting?" She says.

"Nah, I don't think they'd do that." I say, wrapping my arms around her waist. "Anyway, enough about Leo and Louis. Where were we?" I ask and grin mischievously. She chuckles and puts her arms around my neck again.

**Louis' POV**

I walk upstairs and swallow hard. What would Leo say when he saw me? Would he get angry? Maybe he'd just ignore me. I wipe my sweaty hands off my pants and clear my throat softly. Do I knock, or do I say that I'm outside? Or do I just walk in? Ugh, decisions. I decide to just knock.

"Come in." Leo says loudly. I open the door and see Leo sprawled out on his bed, reading a magazine, with some loud music on in the background. He looks up and his eyes widen when he sees me. "Oh."

I take another step and close the door behind me. "Hi." I say. Leo stands up quickly and turns the music down a little bit, so we can hear each other. Then he sits on his bed and gestures for me to sit down as well. I walk over and sit on the other side of his bed.

"Hi." Leo says, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"You're probably wondering why I'm here."

"I'm a bit curious."

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. "I think Isabel broke up with me, but I'm not sure." I say. Then I look up and see Leo looking at me with hope, sadness and concern in his eyes, all at once.

"What do you mean 'you're not sure'?" He asks. I shrug.

"When we went back to my house after.. you know, we watched a movie and then she said she was confused, and I brought her to the train station and she went home and all she said was goodbye and that she'd call me but she never did." I say quickly. Leo eyes widen slightly. He looks down and sighs.

"She said that to me, too. When she broke up with me." He says softly.

"She said she was confused?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"No, that she'd call me. She never did. I tried to call her as well, but she never answered." He says. "I'm sorry Louis, but I think she broke up with you." He whispers. I look down and nod slightly. I should have known. Leo puts a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry if I fucked it all up for you by saying I still loved her." I chuckle and shake my head.

"It's not your fault. She said she was confused, so she obviously still had feelings for you anyway. She would have broken up with me sometime." I say and shrug slightly. Leo frowns.

"You think she still has feelings for me?" He asks. I nod.

"Yeah, I think so." I say. Then there's a silence for a few moments. "Why did she break up with you?" I ask hesitantly. I wasn't sure if he'd want to talk about this. But he answered.

"She didn't really give me a reason. Just said that it wasn't me, it was her." He says. I nod slightly and look down again. "Louis, I'm sorry."

"What for?"

He shrugs. "I don't know, I just feel sorry, I guess. It is my fault. If I hadn't said anything she would have just, you know, had fun with you that day." He says. I sigh.

"Stop feeling sorry. If anybody has to feel sorry, it's me. I shouldn't have lied about her having a brother. If I had admitted we were talking about the same Isabel you wouldn't have been as shocked when you saw her, and you might not have said certain things." I say. Leo sighs.

"Man, that girl's a heartbreaker." He says as he picks up a bowl of cookies and hands it over to me. I take a cookie and then give the bowl back.

"She sure is." I murmur as I chew on the cookie. We're both silent for a while, as we devour all of the cookies. After that Leo looks at me.

"Wanna play a videogame?"

"Sure."

**Katniss' POV**

"I love you.." Peeta murmurs as he draws little patterns on my naked back.

"And I love you." I say and smile up at him. He smiles back and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

After Louis went upstairs, we made out again. And then Peeta carried me upstairs, to his bedroom. After a few moments all of our clothes were on the floor, and we were on the bed. And, well, then we needed the small blue box.

I sit up and braid my hair again. Peeta sits up as well and stretches his arms and back. "You don't think anybody heard us, do you?" I ask as I feel my cheeks blush. He chuckles and shakes his head.

"Nah, Leo's music was too loud for anybody to hear anything else." He says and wraps his arms around my waist. I smile and lean my head back, into his neck. "Katniss?"

"Yes?"

"You know it's our six-month anniversary in exactly 22 days?" He says softly.

"Really?"

"Well, we've been together since that day you came over to my house and I told you I liked you, right? The day of our first kiss?"

"Yeah."

"Then yes." He says and smiles. Wow. Nearly 6 months already. Time was going so fast. "So...," He says. I turn my head and look at him. "What would you like to do that day?" I shrug and lean my head on his shoulder again.

"I don't mind, as long as I'm with you." I say softly. He smiles and wraps his arms around me again, pulling me against his chest. I give him a quick kiss and then stand up, putting my clothes back on.

"Do you have to go _already_?" He asks. I chuckle.

"Well, yeah, it will be time for dinner soon." I say as I pull my shirt over my head. Peeta stands up and puts his own clothes on as well. We walk downstairs, earning a smirk from Rye.

"What now?" Peeta asks as he raises an eyebrow at Rye.

"Oh, well, I was going to go into your bedroom about half an hour ago to ask you something, and I nearly did, but I heard certain sounds and I thought I better not." He says and shrugs slightly, a wicked grin on his face. I feel all the blood rush to my cheeks and look down.

"Oh. Well, I wonder what those sounds were. Anyway, I'm bringing Katniss home." Peeta says quickly, dragging me out of the room. He closes the front door behind us and groans loudly. "I want my own house. My brothers are irritating the crap out of me." He murmurs and runs his hands through his hair. I chuckle and we stop on my porch.

"I had fun. We should _definitely_ do that more often." Peeta says after he gives me a long kiss. I chuckle again and give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

**Peeta's POV**

We say goodbye and I walk back home. I'm just on time for dinner. I walk inside and sit down at the table. I watch as Leo and Rye sit down as well. My mother was still gone, but I had this weird feeling she'd be coming back today or tomorrow. My father sits down as well and we all dig in.

"So, did you have fun with Louis?" I ask Leo. He looks up and nods, with a smile on his face.

"Yeah. We talked, and we sorted some things out, I suppose. And then we played videogames." He says and shrugs slightly. I nod slowly and look down again. Rye looks at me and tilts his head slightly.

"Did you have fun with Katniss, Peeta?" He asks with a smirk. That bastard.

"Yeah." I say. Rye looks like he's just about to say something, so I turn to my father.

"How was your day?" I ask. He raises one eyebrow slightly but then chuckles.

"It was fine. I actually have great news." He says. We all look up and he clears his throat. "I'm going to buy the bakery in town!" He says and grins. We all grin and congratulate him.

"That's great, dad." Leo says. Rye and I nod and he smiles.

"Why is the owner selling it?" Rye then asks, frowning slightly.

"He said he's getting old. He had more potential buyers, but he said he's going to sell it to me because the town needs a _good_ baker." He says. We nod slightly and I put a hand on his shoulder.

"That's really amazing." I say. He thanks me and smiles. We eat dinner again in a comfortable silence. I look around the table and look at my family. My dad looked like he was already planning things for the bakery. His expression was really concentrated, deep in thought. I look at Leo. He was also deep in thought, but I noticed something in his eyes. It looked like hope or something. Then I look at Rye. God knows what he was thinking about. We finish dinner and I sit on the sofa to watch some tv.

After a while I go upstairs and draw for an hour or two. I yawn and get up. I have a warm shower and then put my pajamas on. I get into bed and fall asleep quickly, my mind wondering what my mother will think when she hears about the bakery.

**Author's Note: Meh, this chapter is so short. I'm just really tired and basically I didn't know what to write about. I have a big plan for the next chapter though :) And don't worry, after the next chapter I'll probably skip to when Finnick, Annie and Gale come over. Anyway, thanks for reading, and the next chapter will be sometime soon!**


	47. Chapter 47

**Author's Note: Hi guys! I just wanna thank all of the people who voted for the poll, or reviewed/PM'ed me. Anyway, remember when I said I had a big idea for this chapter? I kinda forgot. I should have written it down somewhere, but I didn't. Sorry guys! Here's chapter 47.**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 47_

**Katniss' POV**

The next weeks go by quickly. The only things that change are our mood, the closer we get to the holidays, and the weather. Believe it or not, it's getting colder everyday. Some people are saying it will even start snowing soon. Ugh.

When my alarm clock goes off on a certain Wednesday morning, I can't help but smile. I put the alarm clock off and have a quick shower. Then I get ready and go downstairs. I sit down and say good morning to Prim and my mother, who have just started breakfast. They both look up and smile at me.

"Morning Katniss." My mother says. I smile back and then grab some bread. "Why do you look so happy?" She asks.

"Peeta and I have been dating for six months, today." I say softly. Prim claps her hands happily and grins at me.

"Aw! Did you get him a present?" She asks. I shake my head.

"We both promised to not buy each other presents." I say. Prim nods slightly. I look at my mother and see her looking down with a slight frown. "Is anything wrong?" I ask. She looks up and shakes her head.

"No, no. I'm happy for you." She says. She gives me a genuine smile, and I squeeze her hand once. We finish our breakfast in silence. Then I hear someone knock on the door. I grab my bag and coat and give Prim a quick hug. I open the door and find Peeta grinning at me. He puts his hands on my face and starts giving me small kisses on my cheeks and on my jaw.

"We've. Been. Dating. For. Six. Months." He says in between the kisses. Then he reaches my mouth and gives me a long kiss. When he pulls back I sigh and smile.

"Happy six months anniversary." I say. He wraps his arms around me and I lay my head on his chest for a moment. He strokes my hair softly and then gives me a quick kiss. He slides his fingers into mine and walks me to the car. We both get in and drive to school. After ten minutes we're there. We walk over to our meeting place with Madge. Luckily, she arrives only two minutes later. When she sees us she grins and runs over to us.

"Happy anniversary!" She yells as she gives us both a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Peeta wipes his cheek off the back of his hand teasingly and I laugh. Madge chuckles and rolls her eyes.

"Thanks Madge." We both say. She smiles and we walk to class. We sit down and the teacher walks in. Peeta immediately grabs a piece of paper and starts writing something. After a few seconds he passes the piece of paper to me.

_Can you believe that exactly six months ago we didn't even know each other?_ I smile and grab a pen myself.

_We did know each other exactly six months ago. I met you about a week and a half before you actually told me you liked me, remember? So this time six months ago you were in class, dreaming about me._

He reads it and laughs silently.

_I wasn't dreaming, I was worrying. I was really nervous, the whole day. I mean, it was the first time you'd be coming to my house. And we'd be alone. You won't believe all of the different scenes my mind thought of. _

I raise an eyebrow and smirk slightly.

_Do I even want to know?_ I write. He reads it and blushes slightly.

_Not those kind of scenes, you pervert._ He passes it to me and grins.

_Oh, I'm the pervert?_ I write. He reads it and nods at me before writing something under it.

_Yeah. You think I don't notice, but I see you undressing me with your eyes every time I walk into the room. And every time I turn around I can just feel your eyes lingering on my behind._

I laugh quietly and shake my head slightly.

_Alright, you got me. I just can't help it. Your behind is just so.. perfect._ I joke. He chuckles and puts the piece of paper away because the teacher is walking around the classroom. The class ends quickly, and before I know it I'm in the canteen with Peeta and Madge again.

"So are you going to do anything special later?" Madge asks. Peeta and I both shake our head.

"We don't need to do anything special, as long as we're together." Peeta says and grins. I smile and give him a kiss. Madge snorts and rolls her eyes.

"My god, you two are so cheesy." She murmurs.

**Gale's POV**

Finnick and I are walking down the hallways, being bored. We had a free period, but everyone who also had a free period was outside, so it was too busy. We sit down on one of the big windowsills next to the lockers and I grab Finnick's bag of crisps. I empty nearly the whole bag into my mouth before he's able to get it off me again. He glares at me and I laugh.

"You'll pay for that, Gayle." He says with a smirk. I glare at him. Since that 'incident' of three weeks ago, his new nickname for me was Gay-Gale. That quickly turned into Gayle. He thinks it's absolutely hilarious. I kick his foot once and he chuckles. "So how's Madge?" He asks.

"She's fine." I say and smile. I couldn't wait to see her. We were going Friday, and we'd probably be staying for at least four nights.

"You know, I just realized she's two years younger than you. You pedophile." Finnick says and smirks at me again. I just roll my eyes and kick him again.

"Shut up, Finnick."

"Okay, okay, relax, Abigail." He says. Oh yeah, that was another one of his nicknames. _Abigail_. He laughs when he sees my annoyed face. Then he puts one hand on his chin and strokes it as if he has a beard or something. "You know, there are a load of things that rhyme with Gale." He says. Oh no.

"Don't you even dare start listing them." I say. He smirks.

"Gale, you're looking a bit _pale_. Did you forget your _mail_ or did you step on a cat's _tail_? You look like a fat _whale_, and I'm speaking for all of Panem if I say that you're a _fail_." He sings loudly. Then he starts laughing. Did he seriously just write a song about me?

"I should go on one of those talent shows, like _Panem's got talent_, and sing it. I'd probably win the whole contest." He says and grins.

"You think?" I ask sarcastically.

"Yeah, who doesn't love a song about a fat whale?"

I shove him and he laughs again.

"I'm going to the toilet, mind my bag for a minute." I say as I stand up and walk to the bathrooms. I do my business and then walk back out. I notice Finnick has a big grin on his face. I walk over to him and sit down again.

"What's wrong?" I ask. He shakes his head and says nothing. Okay, weird. We talk for a few minutes until I hear my phone go off in my bag. I grab it and see I have a new text message.

_You're kidding me, right?_

It was from Madge. What was I kidding about? Suddenly I know why Finnick just had a big grin.

"You little-" I sigh and glare at him. "What did you text her?" I ask. Finnick laughs and grabs my phone again. He goes to 'outbox' and shows me the text he sent to Madge.

_Hi Madge. I think I'm gay. I'm sorry, I hope you understand. xoxo_

I start laughing and slap his arm.

"Finnick! Now my girlfriend thinks I'm gay!" I yell. He laughs again and I shake my head slightly. Only Finnick would do something like this. I grab my phone again and text Madge.

_Hi Madge, Finnick just sent you that message. I'm not gay, he's just being his usual stupid self. x_

The rest of the free period goes by quickly, and after a while Finnick and I are walking to our next class. We see Annie, and Finnick walks up to her and gives her a kiss. She giggles and then gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi Gale." She says.

"Hey Annie. Your boyfriend was calling me gay again." I say. Annie turns around and slaps Finnick arm.

"Finnick! You have to stop saying that, it's mean towards Madge!" She says. I didn't really understand her logic, but if she was slapping Finnick I didn't mind. Finnick glares at me and I smirk.

**Peeta's POV**

The whole day goes by slowly. After the last hour the three of us walk to the lockers and grab our books. When we're ready to leave, Harry and Roger walk over to us.

"How have you not dumped Peeta yet? It's been six months!" Roger says. Madge and Katniss laugh as I roll my eyes. Roger and Harry turn to me and grin.

"Congratulations on having a relationship for six months. My longest relationship was 15 days." Harry says and shrugs slightly. We all chuckle and walk to the cars. Then we all say goodbye to each other. Katniss and I get in the car and drive to my house. After a few minutes we're there. I open Katniss' door for her and we get out. Then we walk to my front door. I grab my keys and put them in the door. I realize I have to twist the key two times before the door opens. That meant someone had locked it, which meant no one was home. I grin and gesture for Katniss to walk in front of me. I find myself biting my bottom lip as I notice that Katniss' pants fit perfectly at her ass. I force myself to look up again and see her staring at me with one raised eyebrow. I feel myself blush slightly and wrap an arm around her waist. We walk into the living room and put down our bags.

"So.. where is everyone?" She asks. I look around and shrug.

"I think they're all out.." I say as I walk towards her slowly. She smiles as I put my hands on her waist. Just as I'm about to lean in, the front door opens again.

"Hello, brotha!" Rye yells from the hallway. I pinch my eyes shut and Katniss laughs. Rye walks in and sees us. "I'm sorry, did I disturb you?" He asks. I sigh and shake my head.

"Not at all. I mean, we've only been together for six months now, and we only wanted to be alone, but hey, join the party." I say sarcastically. Rye looks at his watch and then shrugs.

"If you insist." He says and sits down on the sofa. He puts his feet on the table and then grabs the remote. I just gape at him. He-

"Anything wrong?" He asks. I blink and shake my head. Was my brother trying to annoy me or was he just plain stupid? I then notice him smirk at me. He was doing this on purpose.

"We'll be upstairs if you need us." I say, grabbing Katniss' hand.

"Oh, what are you going to do?" Rye asks.

"Make homework." I mumble before closing the door behind us. We walk upstairs and go to my bedroom. I close the door and then sit down on my bed. I gesture for Katniss to sit down next to me. She does, and I squeeze one of her hands softly. She smiles and moves closer. She rests her head on my shoulder, and I wrap my arms around her.

"I have the best boyfriend ever." She sighs. I smile.

"Oh really? What is he like?" I joke.

"Oh, well, he's very kind, and sweet, and _very_ handsome. He can bake the best cookies in the whole of Panem, and he paints. He's funny as well, and he's basically one of the nicest, coolest guys I know." She says softly.

"Sounds like you really love him."

"I do."

"Lucky guy."

"Yeah. Do you have anyone?" She asks. I shrug slightly.

"Yeah, I have a girlfriend."

"What is she like?"

"She's amazing. She's nice, and friendly, and trusting. She can hunt, although I don't like her to hunt because I'm afraid she'll get hurt. She's extremely beautiful, and she has the prettiest eyes and smile I've ever seen. She's also one of the only people who can make me laugh anytime." I say casually.

"Sounds like you really love her." Katniss says softly.

"I do. I love her more than _anything_ in this world."

"Even more than baking?"

I chuckle. "Even more than baking." I say softly. She looks up at me with one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen. She stretches up a bit and puts a hand on the back of my neck, pulling me closer. I smile into our kiss as I feel her other hand run up my chest. I put both arms around her waist and pull her onto my lap gently. She wraps her legs around my waist.

"Katniss, I lo-" I'm interrupted by the door swinging open and Rye stepping in.

"Hi guys. Thought you might need these if you're going to do homework." He says, holding both of our bags up. I glare at him as he pretends to be shocked. "Oh, my, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." He says.

"_Thanks_, Rye. You can leave now." I say. He puts the bag down and walks to the door slowly. Then he leaves without saying another word, or closing the door. I groan and lift Katniss off of me. Then I stand up and close the door, locking it at the same time. I turn around and see her watching me with an amused face.

"You think this is _funny_?" I ask as I walk back over to her. She chuckles and nods her head. I roll my eyes. "Try living with him, the amusement wears off." I murmur as I sit next to her again. She looks at me and raises one eyebrow slightly.

"Are you inviting me to live with you?" She asks jokingly. I wrap an arm around her waist again and lean my head against the wall. If only.

"I wouldn't dare do that, I can imagine your mother coming after me with a knife." I say. Katniss laughs and snuggles into my chest.

"Nah, she'd just poison your tea the next time you come over, she's good with herbs and stuff." She says seriously.

"Oh, well that's a relief." I say sarcastically. Katniss laughs again and I smile. She takes a deep breath and then sighs. She has both arms around my waist, her legs pulled up and resting on my left leg, and her head on my chest. My left arm is around her shoulders, my left hand resting on her left arm. My right hand is slowly rubbing one of her legs. There wasn't a sound, as Rye was in the kitchen, and we weren't saying a word. I feel so peaceful right now.

"You're perfect." Katniss then whispers so soft I'm not even sure she wanted me to hear it. I smile and kiss the top of her head. Then I faintly hear the front door open again, and Leo walking in.

**Leo's POV**

I walk into the kitchen and see Rye, trying to make a gigantic sandwich. It wouldn't stay balanced though.

"Hi Rye." I say. He looks up and then sandwich falls over, all the cheese, tomato, egg, lettuce, and other stuff falling out. He groans and then smiles slightly.

"Hey Leo. What's up?" He asks as he piles all of the stuff onto the piece of bread again.

"Not much, you?"

"I've been annoying Peeta. God, his face is hilarious whenever I walk in on them." He says with a small smirk. I chuckle and nod. I grab a drink and watch as Rye finally succeeds in putting another piece of bread on top of it all, without it falling over. He quickly grabs a small wooden stick and sticks it in the middle.

"How in the name of _cookie dough_ are you going to fit all of that into your mouth?" I ask, raising my eyebrows. Rye chuckles and picks the sandwich up carefully.

"Easily." He then says and takes a gigantic bite.

"How.. your mouth isn't that big, how-"

"Years of practice." He says as he takes another gigantic bite. I watch in amazement and then laugh and walk upstairs. I can't hear anything coming from Peeta's bedroom. I roll my eyes. My little brother, who was 4 years younger than me, was making out way more than me. It wasn't fair. I walk into my room and put on some music. Then I jump onto my bed and grab my mobile. I text with Perry for a while, until my mobile goes off. I frown and answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi."

I freeze. This couldn't be happening.

"Uh, hi." I say.

"How are you?" She asks. I nearly snort. _Oh, I'm doing absolutely fine. The girl I love yelled at me nearly four weeks ago and then didn't say a word to me for weeks, and now suddenly she's calling me, asking how I'm doing. I'm fine._

"I'm okay. How about you?" I say softly.

"I'm.. I don't know." She whispers.

"Isabel, what's wrong?" I ask, getting worried. She sounded like she was going to cry or something.

"Nothing, I'm just so confused." She says.

"Oh. What about?"

There's a silence for about a minute, and I nearly think she hung up on me.

"Us."

I swallow hard and stare at the window.

"Us?"

"Us."

"I thought you were with Louis."

"I broke up with him three weeks ago."

"Oh. I'm sorry." I say, acting like I didn't know.

"I just didn't like him. After I broke up with you, I thought I'd date a different boy to get over you, but it didn't work." She says softly. If she had to get over me, why did she dump me in the first place? And does this mean she still likes me?

"What do you mean, get over me? You dumped me, I thought-"

"I never stopped loving you, Leo." She whispers.

Boom. My heart's jumping out of my chest, going quicker and quicker by the second.

"Then why did you break up with me?" I ask after a minute.

"Because we were getting too serious. When I was younger I promised myself not to get into a serious relationship before I finished college. I have to study a load, and having a serious relationship at the same time would just be so hard. I was convinced that if I broke up with you and dated someone else, my feeling for you would just vanish after a while. But they didn't. And it really confused me." She says softly.

She broke up with me because of college? Okay, I seriously hate school now. I stay silent for a moment as I let her words sink in. _She still loved me_.

"Can I come over Saturday? So we can talk properly?" She then asks softly. I nod quickly.

"Y-yeah, of course." I say.

"Okay. See you Saturday, Leo." She says, a hint of happiness in her voice.

"See you Saturday." I say. She hangs up and I just stare at the wall.

"Wow." I breathe, falling backwards onto the bed.

**Katniss' POV**

After a while I lean back and sigh.

"I really have to go."

"Just five more minutes." Peeta murmurs as he kisses my jaw softly.

"You said that twenty-five minutes ago." I say and smirk at him. He chuckles and releases me so I can get up. He grabs my hand and walk downstairs with me. We pass the kitchen and I see his mother glare at me. She had come back three days after she left, to everyone's disappointment.

We walk outside and stop on my porch.

"I love you. I have for six months already and I don't plan on changing that." Peeta says as he wraps his arms around my waist. I smile and give him a kiss.

"I love you too, and I'll see you tomorrow." I say. He turns around and I slap his butt once before turning around as well. I walk to the door and turn my head. He's just watching me with narrowed eyes and a small smirk. I blow him a kiss and he chuckles. I walk inside and go straight to the kitchen to help my mother with dinner. I think I'm slowly getting used to the fact that she's all motherly. We make dinner and then sit down with Prim. Prim tells us about her day, which existed of going to school and then hanging out with Rue and Liam.

After dinner I wash up, watch some tv, read a book for a while, and then have a nice, long shower. I get into my pajamas and then lie down. I turn the lights off and snuggle into the blankets. It doesn't take long before my eyes droop and I fall asleep.

**Author's Note: I know it's short, but yeah. Okay you guys, bad news. I just found out my two cousins are coming over, and they're staying for a week. It's good news for me, but bad news for you guys because I won't be updating. I'm sorry! My next update will probably be next Wednesday. I hope you all have a nice week! :)**


	48. Chapter 48

**Author's Note: I'm back! How was your week? Mine was great, we had so much fun! A few minutes ago I was just reading all of the latest reviews, and I was literally just sitting behind my computer with a gigantic smile on my face. You're all just so sweet. Anyway, here's chapter 48, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 48_

**Katniss' POV**

"Come on Prim, it's the last day of school, after this you'll have a week of sleeping in. Get up!" My mother yells. I laugh and walk downstairs. I grab some bread and say morning to my mother. She turns around and smiles.

"What's wrong, won't the teenager get up?" I ask with a small smirk. My mother sighs and nods. A few seconds later Prim walks downstairs with a scowl on her face.

"Good morning Prim. Sleep well?" I ask. She looks up at me and nods once before stuffing some bread into her mouth. I chuckle silently and sit down opposite her.

"So, Gale and his friends are coming over today, aren't they?" My mother asks. I nod.

"Yes, so Prim said she'd stay at Rue's tonight. The six of us will be sleeping on the mattresses in the living room." I say. My mother nods slightly and then looks up again.

"We only have four mattresses though."

I swallow and look up.

"Oh? Well, um, someone can sleep on the sofa as well, and, um-"

"Katniss, I know you're only going to use three mattresses." She then says with a disapproving tone. I suppose she'd find out if I was lying anyway, so I might as well not deny anything.

"Um.. how do you know?" I ask.

"I asked Prim how much mattresses you'd need, and she said that last time you only used three." She says. Prim's eyes widen as she looks at me. _Sorry_ she mouths. I smile and roll my eyes. Before my mother can say anything about the six of us only using three mattresses, I hear Peeta's car. I sigh with relief and stand up.

"I'll see you later!" I say as I grab my coat and bag. I walk out and step into Peeta's car. Peeta gives me a quick kiss and then starts the car.

"Looking forward to later?" He asks. I nod and grin. I couldn't wait to see them all again. "Yeah, me too." He says and smiles. After a few minutes we're at school. We walk over to Madge, who looks very fidgety. She sees us and grins.

"Hi guys!" She says. We smile and say hello. Then we walk to the lockers. Madge opens her lockers and grabs some books. First she grabs the wrong ones, and then after that she drops her bag, and everything falls out. She sighs as Peeta and I crouch to help her pick it all up.

"Nervous much?" Peeta murmurs as he hands Madge her books. She rolls her eyes and stuffs all of the books into her bag again. The bell rings and we all run to our classroom. The teacher has already started talking and glares at us as we walk in.

"How thoughtful of the three of you to join us." He says sarcastically.

"Sorry we're late, Mr. Davis." Peeta says.

"Miss Undersee, this is the second time this week that you're too late for my class. I should give you detention." Mr. Davis says. Madge's eyes widen. If she got detention, she wouldn't be able to go to the train station with us.

"What?! No- No, you can't do that!" She says quickly. Our teacher raises his eyebrow.

"Actually, I can."

"Sir, I'm terribly sorry, it's all my fault. If it wasn't for me, Madge wouldn't have been late. You should give me detention." Peeta then says. Madge gasps as Mr. Davis turns to Peeta.

"Fine. One hour, after school. Now sit, I want to continue." He says. We all nod and sit down quickly.

The hour goes by slowly, but after a while we're in the canteen. Madge gives Peeta a hug.

"Peeta, you didn't have to do that. Now I feel guilty." She says. Peeta rolls his eyes.

"Don't worry, its only detention, I'll survive. I know how long you've been waiting to see Gale again. It's fine." He says and smiles. Madge smiles as well. We eat our sandwiches, until the bell rings again. We all walk to our next classes. The rest of the day goes by even slower than the first hour did. After what feels like days, the final bell rings. Peeta walks Madge and I to our lockers. Then I wrap my arms around his neck.

"That was very sweet of you, what you did for Madge." I say softly. He smiles and wraps his arms around my waist.

"Say hi to Gale, Finnick and Annie for me. I'll just go to your house after detention, okay?" He says. I nod and give him a kiss. Then I feel hands pulling me away roughly.

"Katniss, we have to go." Madge says. She thanks Peeta one more time, and then nearly runs out. I laugh and follow her. We get into her car, or, well, her father's car, and Benedict drives us to my house. We both put down our bags and then walk to the train station. Madge is nearly jumping.

"Madge, are you okay?" I ask with a smile. She chuckles and nods.

"I'm fine. I just can't wait." She says. After a few minutes we're at the train station. The train they were supposed to be in looks empty.

"Where are th-" Madge gets interrupted by two big arms wrapping around her and picking her up. I turn around and see Gale grinning with Madge in his arms. Finnick and Annie walk over to me.

"Katniss! I missed you soooo much!" Annie squeals, wrapping her small arms around me. I smile and hug her back.

"Hi Annie!" I say. She lets go and Finnick puts both arms around me, picking me up slightly.

"Hiya Katniss." He says with a grin.

"Hey Finnick." I say as he puts me down again. I turn around and chuckle. Gale's standing there, his arms wrapped around Madge's waist, and Madge's legs wrapped around his waist.

"Hello, Gale." I say. They both lean back and smile at each other with dark red cheeks for a moment, before Gale puts Madge down and envelops me into a bone-breaking hug.

"I missed you, Catnip." He says before leaning back and grinning at me. Then he looks around. "Where's lover boy?" He asks. I chuckle and roll my eyes.

"Detention."

"Oh, since when are you dating such a badass?" Finnick asks with a smirk. I laugh and start walking home. They all walk next to me.

"He's not a _badass_. we were late for class, and if it wasn't for Peeta, Madge would have had to go to detention, and she wouldn't have been able to pick you up from the station with me. So Peeta kinda volunteered for her." I say. They nod slightly.

"Anyway, were you waiting for a long time?" Madge asks.

"Yeah, you two were way too late. We were waiting for hours." Finnick says and rolls his eyes dramatically. We all laugh as Annie slaps his arm softly.

"No, we were only waiting for five minutes or something, our train left earlier than expected." She then says. After a few minutes we arrive at my house. Finnick, Annie and Gale put their bags down, as Finnick and Gale jump onto the sofa and sprawl out.

"Make yourself at home." I murmur. They laugh and sit up straight. I make some lunch for all of us and we sit down, Gale and Madge sitting next to each other of course. I notice they're both holding hands the whole time. Gale sees me looking and grins sheepishly. I chuckle and shake my head slightly.

We talk for a while, until Prim walks in. Annie stands up and runs over to her.

"Hi Prim!" She squeals, as if they were best friends. I smile as Prim gives Annie a big hug.

"Hi Annie! How are you?" She asks.

"I'm fine, how about you? How's Liam?" Annie asks. Wait, how did Annie know about Liam?

"Oh, he's fine." Prim says and smiles. Then she notices my confused expression and laughs.

"Annie and I talked a few days ago on the phone. She called but you weren't home." Prim says and shrugs slightly. Annie grins and nods.

"Oh. Um, okay." I say. Then Finnick and Gale say hi to Prim as well, Gale swinging her around like he always does. We all sit down again and talk.

"So who's Liam?" Gale asks, raising an eyebrow. Prim blushes and looks down.

"My boyfriend.." She murmurs. Gale's jaw drops.

"You have a boyfriend?! Why didn't you tell me? I _have_ to meet him!" Gale says and grins. Annie nods and Prim laughs.

"Well, he's coming over later.."

"Great!" Annie says. We all laugh and Prim goes upstairs. After another twenty minutes someone knocks on the door. I open the door and find Peeta. He walks in and follows me through the hallway.

"How was detention?" I ask. He rolls his eyes.

"Terrible. It was the same guy, from that time we had detention. I wasn't even allowed to draw this time, and I didn't have you to stare at, so I was really bored." He says. I laugh and give him a quick kiss. Then we walk into the living room. Annie runs over and nearly jumps on Peeta.

"Peeta, I missed you so much! How are you?" She asks as she wraps her arms around him. Peeta chuckles and gives her a hug.

"I'm fine, how 'bout you?" He asks. She says she's fine, and then Finnick and Gale walk over as well. They both give him a quick hug and a high five.

"So I heard you're now officially a badass, terrorizing District 12, getting into trouble, scaring children and robbing old ladies' purses?" Gale says. We all laugh.

"You got that right." Peeta says, flipping his hair once and then looking into the distance with narrowed eyes. We all laugh again and sit down. Then Finnick shivers.

"It's so bloody cold here!" He says. Gale and Annie frown and nod.

"No it isn't, you lot are just baby's who can't handle the cold." Madge says. I chuckle as Finnick rolls his eyes.

"How is your scar doing?" Annie then asks softly. Peeta's scar had gotten a lot better, and it was much smaller now. You could only see it if you looked really closely and moved his hair a bit. Annie, Gale and Finnick stand up and Peeta turns his head so they can look.

"That's much better." Gale says. Finnick and Annie nod.

"Yeah, it's pretty small." Annie says.

"I bet Annie says that more often, doesn't she Finnick?" Gale says and grins mischievously. Peeta and Madge burst out laughing, as Annie's cheeks go red and Finnick glares at Gale. Then I realize what Gale's talking about and laugh as well.

"Shut up, Gayle." Finnick says and punches his arm. Then we decide to go to the park. We walk around for a while, Finnick complaining about the coldness nearly the whole time. It was quite amusing. After a while we go back to my house. The six of us sit down on the sofa or on chairs, and watch some tv. A few minutes after we sit down, Rue, Liam and Prim walk in. Gale and Annie jump up and grin.

"You must be Liam." Annie says. Liam looks at Prim and then nods. "I'm Annie, and this is Gale, and that's Finnick." She says with a happy smile. Liam smiles as well and waves at Finnick and Gale.

"Uh, hi." He says. Prim chuckles and squeezes his hand. Then they turn to Rue.

"Hey, I'm Rue." She says and smiles. Annie and Gale smile back. Then Rue looks at Finnick and her eyes widen. Prim raises an eyebrow at her, but she doesn't even notice.

**Prim's POV**

Her cheeks go a light red, as all of us just stare at her. Finnick stands up and walks over to her.

"Um. Hi Liam, Rue." He says and grins. Rue blinks and then smiles.

"Hi. Y-Your name-"

"Is Finnick."

"Okay." Rue says softly. Then there's a silence for a few seconds. What was wrong with Rue? Peeta clears his throat and Finnick turns around. He walks back to the sofa and sits down.

"Oh, hey Peeta." I say and smile. He says hello back. Then I ask Liam and Rue if they wanna go upstairs. They nod and say goodbye to the others. We go to my room and I close the door.

"Rue, what just happened?" Liam asks, raising his eyebrows. Rue giggles and shrugs.

"I don't know. Finnick just has.. really pretty eyes." She says. Liam rolls his eyes and I chuckle. I sit down on the sofa next to Rue, and Liam sits next to me. I pull up my legs and lean against Liam's arm a bit.

"Hmm. Green eyes are pretty, aren't they?" I say. Rue nods and leans her head back, looking out of the window. I see Liam grin smugly out of the corner of my eye. I smile and rest my head on his right shoulder. He smiles as well and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. Rue turns her head and sighs.

"Did you forget our 'no-kissing-if-Rue's-in-the-room' rule?" She jokes. I laugh as Liam pushes her softly.

"You better get out of the room if _this _bothers you that much." Liam then says. He puts a hand on my cheek and gives me a quick kiss. Rue groans and slaps our heads with a pillow. We laugh and I squeeze Liam's hand.

"So should I ask Finnick if he might be interested in a certain 13-year-old girl?" I joke. Rue's jaw drops as she slaps my head with the pillow again. This time it's quite hard and it messes up my hair. I laugh as Liam grabs the pillow and slaps Rue with it.

"Stop hitting my girlfriend!" He jokes.

"Shut up, Finch. And you too, Everdeen."

"Make me." Liam says. Rue grabs the pillow and slaps him again, a small smirk on her face.

"Alright, that's it. Give me that pillow." He says. He grabs my other pillow and they start hitting each other, leaning over me. I just sit in the middle, holding my arms in front of my head.

"Come on, can't you hit each other anywhere else?" I say. They both laugh as Rue climbs over me and dives on Liam. They were always fighting like this. I think Rue sees Liam as the older brother she never had. Sure, he was only three months older, but still. Liam pushes her off, making her land on top of me. Then he dives on her and slaps her with the pillow again. I could feel the weight of both of them on my legs.

"Guys, come on, you two are heavy.." I moan. They finally stop and laugh. They get off of me and sit on the floor, breathing heavily. Then I slap them both with a pillow. They both raise an eyebrow and practically jump on me. Suddenly the three of us are having a big pillow fight, at 5 pm.

**Katniss' POV**

We can hear Prim, Liam, and Rue laughing upstairs. I change channel a few times, until Peeta says something again.

"Looks like someone has a little crush on our Finnick." He says and smirks. Finnick sighs.

"Why do 13-year-old girls always fall for me?" He jokes. We laugh until my mother walks in. Gale, Finnick and Annie stand up.

"Gale, lovely to see you again." She says as she walks over to us. Gale gives her a quick hug and then stands back.

"Mrs. Everdeen, this is Annie and Finnick." He says, gesturing towards both of them. They both smile politely as they shake my mother's hand. My mother smiles and nods once.

"Nice to meet you." She says.

"Nice to meet you, too. I see where Katniss got her good looks from." Finnick says. Gale, Madge, Annie and Peeta all have to put their hands over their mouths to keep themselves from laughing. Finnick winks at me and I put my hand on my forehead. My mother's jaw drops.

"Uh, why, thank you." She says. Then she turns around and walks away quickly, before looking at me for a moment. I can nearly hear her think _your friends are weird_. She closes the door behind her, and everyone bursts out laughing.

"Did you seriously just flirt with my girlfriend's mother?" Peeta asks after a few seconds. Finnick chuckles.

"No, I just thought I'd be polite, because she's letting us stay and stuff."

"Saying you know where her daughter got her good looks from isn't 'just being polite'." Madge says. Finnick shrugs slightly.

"Oh well."

"Wait.. you think Katniss looks good?" Peeta then asks seriously. Finnick turns around and puts his hand on Peeta's shoulder.

"Peeta, don't get your panties in a twist. I have Annie." He says. We all laugh as Peeta rolls his eyes. Then Rue, Liam and Prim walk downstairs. They walk into the living room as Prim grabs some final things for her stay at Rue's tonight. She grabs her keys and then looks at us.

"Have a good time, I'll see you all tomorrow." She says and smiles. We all say goodbye and they turn around.

"Wait!" Peeta says just before they walk out. They turn around again and Peeta narrows his eyes slightly.

"Liam isn't staying at Rue's too, is he?" He asks, a worried, nearly fatherly look in his eyes. Liam and Prim's cheeks turn red as she shakes her head quickly.

"No! I mean, no, Peeta, we're 13, do you really think Rue's parents would let some random boy sleep at their house?" She says.

"Alright then. Have a good time." Peeta says and grins. I chuckle as I see Rue glance at Finnick over her shoulder before walking out again.

"You really care about your sister-in-law, don't you?" Finnick teases. Peeta just chuckles as I feel my cheeks burn. Finnick gives me a crooked smile and shakes his head slightly. "There's no point in denying that you'd like to marry Peeta someday." He then whispers. I swallow and try to give him my best glare, but it doesn't really work.

A few minutes later my mother says it's dinnertime. I hadn't even thought about making dinner, but apparently my mother had. Everyone sits down at the table and I walk into the kitchen. I feel my eyes widen as I see all of the food.

"Thanks, but how did you make so much food in less than an hour?" I ask, looking at the seven plates. She looks up at me and smiles.

"I'm a mother. Mothers are like superheroes, we can do anything." She says. I chuckle and squeeze her hand once before helping her carry out all of the plates. When we walk in, Finnick and Gale start to whistle and clap their hands. Everyone laughs as we sit down as well.

"Mrs. Everdeen, you are an _amazing_ cook." Finnick then says. My mother gives him a small smile.

"Thank you, Finnick." She says. He grins and scoops another forkful into his mouth. "So, tell me something about yourselves." My mother then says, gesturing towards Finnick and Annie. I remember her saying the same thing to Liam when he stayed for dinner once. Annie swallows her food and then thinks for a moment before answering.

"Well, I'm Annie, but you already know that. Unless you forgot. But I don't think you would, because you don't seem like someone who would forget something like that very easily." She says quickly, not really thinking about what she's saying. I chuckle softly. "Anyway, I'm 18, and I like swimming. I have a brother, and a puppy called Honeybunny." Honeybunny. Leave it to sweet, innocent Annie to call her dog _Honeybunny_.

"And Annie's clumsy as shit- oh I'm sorry, I shouldn't have cursed." Finnick says. We all burst out laughing as my mother just rolls her eyes slightly. "Anyway, I'm Finnick Odair. I'm 18, and I don't have any brothers or sisters. I've been saving for my own boat since I was 16. _That_ is why I don't have a car, I'm not just 'some poor guy', as Gale says." He says, rolling his eyes at Gale. We all laugh again. My mother nods.

"And you?" My mother then jokes, looking at Gale. Gale puts a hand on his heart,feigning hurt.

"Mrs. Everdeen, how could you forget me, the son you never had?" He says, a small grin on his face. My mother chuckles and shakes her head slightly. We eat the rest of dinner in a comfortable silence, Annie, Gale and Finnick stuffing their selves. They were really hungry after that train ride. When we're all finished Finnick raises his hand. My mother raises an eyebrow for a second and then clears her throat.

"Um, yes, Finnick?"

"I think Gale should do the washing up."

"Sounds like a great idea, but I think it would be even better if you help him." My mother says and throws both of them a towel. We all laugh as they walk into the kitchen with our plates. My mother goes upstairs, saying she's going to read for the rest of the night.

"And no inappropriate business, okay?" She says, waving her index-finger at us. I had this weird feeling she was especially talking to Peeta and I. The four of us nod and say goodnight. Then we sit on the sofa. About ten minutes later Finnick and Gale join us.

"Okay, so how about a game of truth or dare?" Gale then says. We all groan and he laughs. "Come on, it's tradition!" He says, picking up a bottle. We all sit on the ground, in a circle. Gale spins the bottle and it lands on Peeta.

"Peeta, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Have you and Katniss done _it_ yet?" He asks without hesitation. I can feel all of my blood rushing to my face. Peeta squeezes my hand softly and I look up.

"Yes." He murmurs. Finnick and Gale start wolf-whistling and giving Peeta high fives. I just roll my eyes as Peeta grins.

"It's about time, anyway." Finnick says just before Peeta spins the bottle. I glare at him and then see who the bottle landed on. Annie.

"Annie, truth or dare?" Peeta asks.

"Um.. I'll go with truth. No, wait, dare. No, truth." She says. Peeta chuckles.

"Okay... if you had to rate me on a scale of 0 to 10, what would you give me?" He asks, grinning. I laugh and roll my eyes again.

"What do I have to rate, your looks or your personality?" Annie asks seriously. Peeta shrugs.

"The whole package." He then says and runs his hand through his hair seductively. We all laugh.

"I'd give him a -10." Finnick says.

"Shut up about my boyfriend." I say, narrowing my eyes at him. He puts his hands up, his eyes wide and a small grin on his face.

"Sorry _Mrs. Mellark_, I was only kidding." He says. I roll my eyes again and watch as Annie stares at Peeta for a few seconds.

"Hmm. Well, you're really nice and friendly. And you're not ugly or anything.. I think I'd give you an 8." She says. Peeta pouts.

"Only an 8? Well that hurt me right in the feelings." He says. Annie laughs.

"Alright, an 8.5, because you're my friend. Happy now?" She says.

"Very happy." He says, grinning. Annie grabs the bottle and spins. It lands on Madge.

"Madgypadgy!" Finnick says. We all chuckle at the ridiculous nickname.

"Truth or dare, Madge?" Annie asks.

"I'll go with.. dare."

"Feelin' bold tonight, are we?" Peeta jokes.

"I dare you to _touch_ Gale." Annie then says, smirking. Madge's face turns red.

"Holy shit Annie, why the perverted dare?" Gale says, slowly turning red. Annie shrugs. Madge puts her hand on Gale's shoulder.

"There. I touched him." She says with a cheeky grin. We all laugh and roll our eyes. Before Annie can say that that's not what she meant, Madge has her hand on Gale's crotch. The surprise on Gale's face is hilarious. After a short second Madge takes her hand off and sits next to him again. We all just watch Gale's face for a few seconds.

"You alright? You look a little bit.. startled." Finnick teases. Gale blinks and narrows his eyes at Finnick. Before he can say anything, Madge is spinning the bottle again. It lands on Finnick.

"Finnick, tru-"

"Truth."

"Alright then. Do you personally think you're good in the bedroom department?" She asks. Finnick blushes slightly.

"Do _I_ think- how should I know if I'm- I-" Finnick stutters. This is the first time I've seen confident, sometimes even cocky Finnick stutter and blush. We all laugh and Finnick licks his lips once, frowning. "It would be so much easier if you asked Annie this question."

"Yes, but I asked you this question. So answer it." Madge says and grins.

"Well.. I wouldn't say I'm bad, I mean- I- um, I suppose.. I'm okay?" He says, rubbing his fingers together a bit nervously. We all laugh again and Madge nods, approving of his answer. Finnick sighs of relief and spins the bottle. It lands on me.

"Ah, little Mrs. Mellark, truth or dare?" He asks. Was this my new nickname?

"Truth."

"Is your boyfriend here," he says, gesturing towards Peeta, "good in the bedroom department?" I feel Peeta freeze as Finnick's mischievous grin grows bigger.

"Well that's an original question." I say, avoiding the question.

"I know, right?" Finnick says. "Now answer it."

"He's- um, I- yes." I stutter. I look down as they all wolf-whistle again. I even think I see Peeta with a small, smug grin on his face. I spin the bottle and it lands on the last person, Gale.

"Gale, Gale, Gale. Truth or dare?" I ask. Gale thinks for a moment.

"I'll go with truth."

"Are you really nervous about having dinner at Madge's house tomorrow? With her father, the _mayor_ of District 12?" I ask. Gale sighs and nods.

"Very." He says. Madge looks up and gives him a small smile.

"You know there's no need to be nervous. I love you, so my father will as well." Madge says softly. Gale smiles and gives her a quick kiss.

"Tut tut tut, no inappropriate business, remember?" Finnick says, pulling Gale back. He rolls his eyes and punches Finnick's shoulder. Then I realize Annie hasn't said anything in a while. I look her way and gasp.

"Guys? I think Annie fell asleep." I say softly. Everybody looks at Annie. She's leaning against the sofa, her head resting on the side. I see Finnick's eyes soften. He brushes her cheek softly and then stands up. He picks Annie up carefully and then lays her down on the sofa. He tucks her hair behind her ear and then gives her a soft kiss on the top of her head. He turns around and looks at us.

"What?" He says softly, raising an eyebrow. I realize we're all watching him with a sweet smile. I shake my head slightly.

"Nothing. Boys, go get the mattresses." I say, waving my hand. Gale and Peeta chuckle and stand up. A few minutes later the three of them come back with one mattress each. They put them down next to each other. Then we all put our pajamas' on and get ready for bed. After half an hour we're ready. I sit down on one of the mattresses. Finnick lifts Annie off the sofa and onto one of the other mattresses. Then he lies down next to her. Madge and Gale lie down as well, and after a few seconds Peeta turns the light off and jumps onto the mattress next to me. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close.

"Goodnight everyone." Peeta says. Everyone, except for Annie, says goodnight, and after a few minutes I can hear Gale and Finnick snoring. I look up and see Peeta's nearly asleep as well. I smile and give him a soft kiss on his right cheek. He moves his face a bit and pulls me closer. I lay my head on his chest and fall asleep quicker than I thought was possible.

**Author's Note: OHMYGOD SAM CLAFLIN IS OFFICIALLY FINNICK. I am _so_ happy with this, I really think he's gonna be perfect. The only downside is that in Mockingjay, we'll have to see Sam Claflin get ripped to pieces by mutts. Sigh.**

**And by the way, I know Finnick and Annie aren't 18, but in my story they are. They wouldn't be in Gale's classes otherwise. **

**So, next update will be some time in the next few days. As you know, Gale will be having dinner at Madge's house. Do you want me to do that in Madge's POV or Gale's? If you have an opinion, review :)**


	49. Chapter 49

**Author's Note: Hellooo, most people wanted Gale's POV for the dinner, so that's what I'll be doing. For the rest of the day I'll be doing different POV's, to show what everyone's doing in the meantime. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 49_

**Peeta's POV**

I try to turn around but feel a weight on my chest. I open my eyes and see Katniss. Oh. I smile and stretch my arms. Everyone was still asleep. I gently lift Katniss off of me and walk to the kitchen. Two minutes later Katniss walks in as well.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I whisper. She shakes her head and yawns. I smile and make a cup of tea for her as well. She walks over to me and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I turn around and wrap my arms around her waist quickly, pulling her closer. I lean in slowly and give her a soft kiss. She sighs contently and puts her hands on my arms. Then her smile fades and she frowns slightly, looking at my arms.

"Peeta?"

"Katniss?" She rolls her eyes and I smile.

"Have you been working out?"

"That's such a cheesy line, Katniss."

"Shut up, I'm serious." She says softly as she pulls up one of my sleeves a bit. "You _have_ been working out." She then says and raises one eyebrow slightly. I shrug.

"Yeah, well, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." I say, giving her her cup of tea. "I'm joining the school's wrestling team."

She blinks and then grins, giving me a hug.

"Peeta, that's great. Really." She says. I give her another quick kiss until we hear someone walk in.

"Ugh, Mellarks. Can't keep their hands off of each other." Finnick mumbles as he walks past us and grabs some coffee.

"And a good morning to you too, Finnick." I say, ignoring the fact that he just called Katniss a Mellark. He just stares at us with tired eyes, leaning against the refrigerator. He crosses his arms and I watch as his eyes droop a bit. Katniss turns the tap on, cups her hands, and fills them with cold water. She smirks at me for a second before throwing the water at Finnick. He jumps backwards, straight into the fridge, and nearly knocks a few cups off the table at the same time.

"Jesus- I'll get you back for that, you little, evil.. ugh." Finnick says, rubbing his now, wide awake, eyes. Katniss laughs loudly. A few minutes later the three of us walk into the living room. Everybody's awake.

"What was that loud bang?" Madge asks.

"Oh, just Finnick jumping into the refrigerator." I say casually. Annie, Gale and Madge nod slowly, their eyebrows raised. Before I can explain, Mrs. Everdeen walks in.

"Good morning Mrs. Everdeen." I say and grin. She looks me up and down once and then smiles. Oh, right, I was wearing pajamas.

"Morning Peeta, kids. Are you all ready for breakfast?" She asks.

"I was born ready, Suzanne. Can I call you Suzanne?" Finnick says, walking towards her. He puts a hand on her arm and talks to her while they both walk into the kitchen.

"Finnick really doesn't care about.. well, anything really, does he?" Madge mutters. Annie nods and we all chuckle again. A few minutes later Finnick and Mrs. Everdeen come walking out with seven plates, three loafs of bread, and all the toppings. We sit down and have breakfast together. After a few minutes I can see Mrs. Everdeen looking over my shoulder, at the three mattresses. Then she frowns slightly and looks down again.

"..So anyway, what are the four of us going to do?" Annie asks, looking at Finnick, Katniss and I. Finnick and Katniss shrug, being the _creative_ people they are.

"Hmm.. how about..," I say, "I teach the three of you how to make cookies and then frost them?" Annie's eyes light up as she nods enthusiastically.

"That sounds like so much fun!" She says. Katniss shrugs a bit indifferently, and Finnick raises an eyebrow.

"_Frosting_ isn't very masculine." He says.

"Finnick, you can admit you're just afraid that you're bad at it. I won't judge you, really." I say, smirking at him. Finnick narrows his eyes for a moment and then laughs.

"Fine. Let's frost till we drop."

**Leo's POV**

_Get it together, Leo. You'll be fine. Stop straightening your shirt._

I bite my lip as I look at the clock. It was 12 o'clock already. Isabel said her train would arrive between 11 and 12. And then I forgot to offer to pick her up from the train station. So now I was sitting at home nervously, waiting for her to ring the doorbell. I stand up and walk to the mirror again. Rye looks up from the tv and rolls his eyes.

"Dude, stop checking the mirror, you look crap and walking to the mirror all the time won't make you look any better." He says, smirking. Bastard.

Suddenly the doorbell rings. I grab Rye's arm and practically push him up the stairs.

"Okay, okay, I get the message. Have fun." He says before closing the door. I walk to the door and take a deep breath. My heart's beating so fast it isn't even funny anymore. I swallow once and then open the door.

"_Shit_ Peeta, what the fuck are you doing here?" I yell. He laughs and walks past me, Katniss and two other people following him.

"This is my brother, Leo." He then says, gesturing towards me. I just gape at him as Katniss closes the door. The two other people introduce themselves at Finnick and Anna. Or Annie. I wasn't really listening.

"Okay, um, go to the kitchen and don't come out, okay?" I say, pushing Peeta towards the kitchen door. Isabel was coming and he couldn't just mess things up. "Isabel is coming." I say.

"Alright, alright. Come on guys." He says, grabbing Katniss' hand and walking into the kitchen. They close the door and I sigh, running a hand through my hair. _Chill out, Leo. Just relax. Everything will be-_

The doorbell rings again and I jump, as I'm already in the hallway. I walk over to the door and take another deep breath before opening it.

"Uh, hi." Isabel says, smiling. I look her up and down once and nearly sigh. I had just missed her so much, and now she was here, and I was freaking out, and-

"Hey." I say softly. We just stand there for a moment, not knowing what to do. Do I shake her hand, or give her a hug, or kiss her, or what?! Romantic movies never show you what to do if _this_ happens. After a few seconds of staring I just step back and let her walk in. I close the door and then gesture for her to walk in front of me, into the living room. We sit down on the sofa.

"So.." She starts.

"So.." There's an awkward silence again and I nearly groan. _Say something_. "You, uh, I- I like your skirt." She smiles and lays her hand on my leg. _Holy shit, relax Leo-_

"Thanks, Leo." She says. I smile and then grab the plate with cookies. I offer her one and we chew in silence for a while. When I realize I'm going to have to start the conversation again, I swallow and look down.

"What you said to me on the phone the other day was.. uh, interesting." I say, straightening my shirt again. Why do I always do that when I'm nervous?

"Yeah, um.. it, uh- it was, wasn't it?" Isabel stutters. I nod and bite my lip.

"I'm sorry." She then whispers. "I should have never broken up with you. I never _wanted_ to, but I just- and you- and then I dated Louis, but he just- I don't know, I love you." She says quickly, tears forming in her eyes. My jaw drops slightly. She had said it before, several times before we broke up, and once on the phone a few days ago, but this time was just.. different. Before I even realize what I'm doing, I see my hand reach up and land on her cheek. Her breath hitches and I smile.

"It's okay." I whisper. She stares at me with wide-eyes. Suddenly I feel her warm lips against mine. I gasp and put my free hand on her other cheek. Her lips tasted like strawberry and the chocolate cookie she just ate. After a few short seconds she pulls back and looks down, blushing.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have jumped on you like that.." She murmurs, staring at her lap. I chuckle and slide closer to her, until our legs are touching. She looks up and I grin for a second before resting my hands on her waist and leaning in again.

**Katniss' POV**

Peeta throws the three of us an apron and then puts one on himself. Annie and I quickly grab the two whites ones, leaving only the pink one for Finnick. He sighs and puts it on. We laugh when we see it. I would have never thought I'd see Finnick wearing a small, pink apron.

"That color really brings out the color of your eyes." I say, smirking at him. He glares at me and then turns to Peeta again, who was standing at the other side of the table.

"Okay, so first we'll be making the cookies, and then after that we can frost them." Peeta says. We all nod and Peeta explains and shows us what ingredients we need. He swiftly puts all the right ingredients in a bowl and tells us to do the same. Okay, so it was flour, butter, sugar..

I glance at Peeta and see he's showing Annie what other ingredients she needs. He had his back turned to me, and you could see how the shirt was stretching over his, now bigger, muscles. Apparently he had been working out, because he was going to join the wrestling team. I thought it was a good idea. A _very_ good idea. After a few seconds I realize I've been staring. I blink and see Finnick has caught me. He's just watching me with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Katniss, I don't think your _drool_ is one of the needed ingredients." He whispers. I glare at him and slap his arm. He laughs and I concentrate on my bowl again. After a few seconds we're all done and Peeta instructs us to stir, then add something else, and then stir again. I do as he says. Peeta glances up at me and smirks for a second before walking around the table, over to me.

"You're doing it wrong, you have to move your elbow more.." He says as he stands right behind me. I blush and watch as his arms cover mine, holding both of my hands and showing me how to stir. I turn my head slightly and raise an eyebrow. He just gives me a mischievous grin. After a few seconds he leans in to whisper something.

"What, you thought I wouldn't notice you staring at me?" I can feel his warm breath against my ear and blush again. He chuckles and then gives me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Peeta, what do I have to put in here again?" Annie asks. Peeta sighs and releases me. I smile to myself and stir like Peeta did. After a few seconds I realize it isn't any different to how I was stirring it. I roll my eyes and look up again. Peeta grabs all of our bowls and starts forming cookies. After a minute he puts them into the oven and claps his hands once.

"And now we wait." He says, grinning. We take our aprons off and sit down.

"So, Katniss, tell us about how you can't keep your eyes off of Peeta." Finnick smirks. I bump my shoulder against his roughly and blush again.

"So, Finnick, tell us about how you're afraid of frosting, and how it affects your _masculinity_." Peeta says, coming to the rescue. I smile at him and he winks. Finnick rolls his eyes.

"Shut up, baker boy. When will the cookies be ready?" He asks. Peeta looks at the clock and shrugs slightly.

"I'd say 15 minutes or so."

We talk for fifteen minutes, until the cookies are finally ready. Peeta jumps off the table and throws us our aprons again. Then he carefully takes out the tray of cookies. I can feel my mouth water at the smell of them. Annie licks her lips and Finnick's stomach even makes some noises. Peeta brings out a few different colored frosting's.

"Everyone gets four cookies. This is how you frost.." he says, grabbing an orange frosting, "you just squeeze here, and then slowly draw. That's how easy it is." He makes a sun and then gestures for us to try. I grab the colors green and brown and make a tree. This was actually quite fun. The tree was lopsided, and the leaves were turning into a big green mess, but I didn't really care. On the second cookie I draw a bow and arrow. On the third I draw a bird. Well, a mockingjay, to be precise. Then I grab the fourth cookie.

I look around the room for inspiration. Then my eyes fall on Peeta. I grin and grab blue, red and yellow. I draw a circle, with two, big, blue eyes. Then I draw a smile with the red frosting. With the yellow frosting I draw some curly hair. I pick it up and hold it next to Peeta's face. It didn't look anything like him, but oh well. It's the idea that counts. I put down my cookie and walk over to Annie.

She proudly shows me her four cookies. On the first was a big heart with an arrow through it, on the second some stars, on the third some little people, and on the fourth a pretty flower. Then I look at Finnick's cookies. On the first it said his own name, in sloppy, big letters. I roll my eyes and he chuckles. On the second was a fish, underwater. On the third was a big boat. And on the fourth were some spots and lines. I then walk over to the last batch of cookies, Peeta's.

On the first was the sun. On the second a detailed rose. On the third a house. And on the fourth...

I gasp and he looks up. "What?" He asks. I point at the fourth cookie and he chuckles, shrugging slightly.

"No, you don't understand. I made you as well." I say, dragging him over to my cookies. I show him the cookie and he raises his eyebrows slightly.

"Do I really look that bad?" He jokes. I elbow him in the side and he groans. I smirk and he rolls his eyes. "I'm only kidding. That's beautiful. And I'm not saying that because it's me, it's just, you know, the frosting.." He trails off, blushing slightly. I chuckle and give him a quick kiss. His cookie with me on it really was amazing. The details of my braid,and my face, was so much better than the circle with eyes and a mouth, that I had made.

"You two are so unbelievably cheesy. Seriously, oh my god." Finnick says. Annie slaps his arm and we laugh.

**Madge's POV**

"So, ready for our date?" Gale asks,walking into the living room. I turn around and nod. He smiles and grabs a bag.

"What's in the bag?" I ask. He smirks.

"Nothing."

"Gale-"

"It's a surprise. Now, let's go." He says. He slides his fingers into mine and we walk outside.

"So where are we going, anyway?" I ask.

"Not telling you."

"Gaaaale, come on." I moan. He looks down at me and I give him my best pout. His eyes soften and he gives me a kiss.

"Sorry, still not telling you." He then says. I roll my eyes and he laughs. We were now walking past town. Where was he taking me? The park was the other way, as were all of the restaurants and shops. After a while we reach the woods. I raise my eyebrow slightly as he just looks around. Then he starts walking again.

Ten minutes later, he stops.

"Uh.." I say. He points towards a gigantic tree. "That's a.. nice tree..?" He chuckles and drags me towards it. Then I notice a rope ladder. He starts climbing it and I snort. "I'm _not_ climbing that tree." He looks down at me and rolls his eyes.

"Stop moaning and climb, _Undersee_."

Well that's ironic. Last time we were in the woods together he called me Undersee as well. I sigh and start climbing the rope ladder as carefully as I can. After what feels like ages Gale stops climbing and sits on a gigantic branch. I gasp. The branch was very large, and had another branch right behind it, a little bit higher, so the two branches almost looked like a bench. I sit down. I look down and gasp. How did we get so high up? Gale scoots closer and puts an arm around my waist.

"Are you okay? You look a bit pale.." He says. I look up and nod. He looks at me for a moment and then smirks. "Is my little Madgypadgy scared of heights?" _My_ little Madgypadgy. I feel something in my stomach twist. Then again, it could also just be because we're so high up.

"No, but aren't we too heavy for this branch?" I say. Gale shakes his head.

"Nah. I mean, I'm not _that_ fat, am I?" He jokes.

"Well, I'm not too sure about that, Hawthorne." I say, poking his side. He chuckles and puts both arms around me.

"I missed you." He whispers. I smile and lay my head on his shoulder.

"I missed you too." I whisper back. He tilts my head up and leans in. I rest one hand on his cheek, and the other behind his neck. One of his hands squeezes my waist softly and I gasp. My god, had I missed this. He smiles and leans back again.

"So, do you want to know what's in the bag?" He asks. I nod and he grins. He zips it open and starts taking out cheese buns. "We're having a picnic!" He then says. I laugh and squeeze his arm.

"A picnic in a tree.. that's original." I say. Gale chuckles and shrugs slightly.

"I wanted to take you on a picnic, but a picnic in the park is so.. _not_ original." I laugh and pick up a cheese bun.

"Did you by any chance get Peeta to make all of this?" I ask. He chuckles and nods. "And he told me he had _no idea_ what you had planned. Liar." I scoff, rolling my eyes. Gale laughs and takes a bite from a muffin. We eat in silence for a while, and I look at the woods. We were so high up, you could see for miles. It was really beautiful. I glance to the side and see Gale looking at the woods with sad eyes.

"Do you miss it? The woods?" I ask. He looks at me and nods.

"I just want to live in District 12 again. I grew up here, you know?" He says. I nod and squeeze his hand. "I miss the woods, and town, and my friends. And you, of course." He says, smiling at me. I smile back and he sighs.

"Madge Undersee. You... you." He says softly. I laugh.

"Thank you." I tease. He rolls his eyes.

"You know I'm not good with words. I just.." He shrugs. I chuckle and give him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you. I really do." He then whispers, staring into my eyes. I put a hand on his cheek and smile.

"I know. I love you too."

**Gale's POV**

After an hour we decide to go down again. I go down first. When I reach the ground, I look up and notice Madge isn't even halfway yet. _And_ that she's wearing a skirt, and I'm standing right underneath her. _Gale, stop looking. Gale. Stop. Shit, Gale. Stop staring at her underwear. This isn't polite. Stop looking. Come on, Gale. Stop it._

She looks down and I blink.

"What's with the red cheeks?" She asks. I shake my head slightly and look down. "_Oh_." She says after a few seconds. I look up and see her climbing down quickly. She reaches the ground and straightens her skirt quickly. Then she looks up and raises an eyebrow. I rub the back of my neck and clear my throat.

"Um, shall we walk through town and then go to your house for dinner?" I say. She nods and grabs my right hand. We walk to town in a comfortable silence. I sway our entwined hands a little bit. Madge looks happy, which makes me feel happy. I think about dinner.

What was I going to say? Her father is the _mayor_ of District 12. What do you talk about with the mayor? _Oh hi Mayor Undersee, how is life? Is District 12's economy alright?_ I nearly snort at the thought. What if Madge leaves the room? What if I have to talk to him alone? Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. I glance at Madge and notice it looks like she's daydreaming. She wouldn't notice if I texted Finnick, right? I grab my mobile as silently as I can.

_Finnick, what do I say to Madge's dad if she leaves the room?_

Sent. I put my phone in my pocket and look at Madge again. She looked really nice today. Wait, have I complimented her on that yet?

"You look beautiful, by the way." I say. She blinks and turns her head. Then she smiles and squeezes my hand.

"Thank you. You look rather handsome as well." She says, a faint blush on her cheeks. I smile and give her a quick kiss. She leans back and we walk on, talking about school, and family. After a few minutes I feel my phone vibrate. I take it out and Madge raises an eyebrow.

"It's Finnick." I say, rolling my eyes dramatically.

"Oh, what does he want?" She asks. I shrug slightly and open the text.

_Just say 'Hi mayor Undersee, your daughter's really hot and a great kisser'._ _Dad's really appreciate it when boys tell them that._

I sigh and look at Madge again.

"He's just.. asking what we're doing." I say. Madge nods slightly and looks away again. I quickly text him back.

_Fuck you, Finnick. I'm seriously freaking out here! What do I say?! What if I fuck up and say something terribly wrong?!_

"So anyway, why does Finnick keep calling you gay?" She asks after a while. I tell her the whole story about the little girl, and the rumors. At the end she laughs.

"Sounds like I have competition." She smirks. I pull her closer and puts both arms around her waist. She freezes and stares at me with wide eyes and red cheeks.

"Never. I don't even _look_ at those girls." I say seriously. She chuckles and gives me a kiss. Her arms wrap around my neck, and her hands run through my hair. After five seconds my phone vibrates against both of our legs. I groan and Madge laughs. I lean back and we walk again. I pull out my phone and look at the text Finnick sent me.

_Gale, chill the fuck out. He'll probably ask you about school, and your family. Just answer honestly. There's nothing to worry about. Oh and Peeta says hi._

I take a deep breath and put my mobile away again. I'd text him back later to say thanks. He was right. Madge's Dad would probably ask me about things. There was nothing to worry about.

"Hey, Madge!"

We both turn around and see a boy walking towards us.

"Who's this?" I whisper. Before she can answer, the boy's standing in front of us. Madge freezes and glances up at me before smiling at the boy.

"Hi.. how are you?" She says.

"I'm fine, you? Who's this?" He asks, gesturing towards me. Madge swallows hard and squeezes my hand softly. Why was she so nervous?

"This- this is Gale." She says.

"Oh, your boyfriend, right?" He asks. We both nod and I raise an eyebrow. Who was he?

"I'm sorry, what's your name?" I ask with a cold tone. I didn't mean for it to sound so harsh. Oh well.

"I'm Louis Finch, nice to meet you." He smiles, sticking out his hand. _Oh_.

"You're _Louis_?" I could feel me face heat up.

"Uh, yeah.." He says, raising an eyebrow.

"The Louis that kissed Madge?" His eyes widen as if he just remembered.

"Oh, that. Um, right, I- I don't like Madge anymore, really.. _Shit_, are you that guy on the phone?" He says. I nod and glare at him. He pulls at the collar of his shirt and clears his throat. "Well, it was nice to meet you-"

I put a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from walking away.

"Gale, relax." Madge says softly, pulling my other hand.

"I swear, if you _ever_ touch Madge again-" I close my eyes and frown. I just wanted to hit him so badly right now. But Madge would kill me. I squeeze his shoulder so hard his face scrunches up, and then let go.

"I know where to find you." I mutter as I drag Madge away. He nods and swallows. We walk away in silence for a few minutes. Then I look at Madge. She's just staring at me with wide eyes and red cheeks.

"What?" I ask.

"That..."

"I'm sorry, but he-"

"That was hot."

I stop walking and look at her. Her cheeks were now dark red. I step forward and kiss her roughly. My god, did I love this girl. She wraps her arms around my neck and stands on her tiptoes. I put my hands on the back of her legs and pick her up quickly. She gasps as I wrap them around my waist. Then I take a few steps forward, until her back is leaning against a tree. She runs a hand through my hair and sucks on my bottom lip, making a weird sound come out of the back of my throat.

After a while she leans back and rests her forehead against mine. We were both breathing heavily. She opens her eyes and grins at me. Then she gives me a soft, quick kiss and jumps off of me, walking away.

**Finnick's POV**

"I wonder what Gale and Madge are doing right now." Katniss says. I snort.

"Probably making out somewhere, behind a tree." I say. They chuckle and Peeta shrugs slightly.

"You're probably right, they were going to the woods, after all." He says. Ugh. _Gale, you're so cheesy._

Prim and Rue walk in and smile.

"Hi guys." Katniss says. They both say hello. Then Rue notices me. Shit. Her smile grows as she gives me a small, shy wave. I smile and wave back. Her smile grows _even bigger_, and she looks down. Peeta nudges me and I roll my eyes at him.

"So, what are you doing?" Prim asks.

"Just talking, really." Annie says. Prim nods and then smirks at me.

"Finnick, you have lovely eyes. Don't you think so too, Rue?"

Oh, shit. Why, Prim, why. Rue looks up and nods quickly with red cheeks. "Lovely." She says softly. Prim grins and then turns around.

"Alright, we'll be upstairs.." They both walk away and close the door.

"Oh, Finnick, you have _lovely_ eyes." Peeta says in a high voice, imitating Rue. I kick him hard and he groans, slapping my head with a pillow.

"Boys, no fighting." Mrs. Everdeen says as she walks in. I liked Mrs. Everdeen, she was really friendly.

"Yeah _Peeta_, no fighting." I say. He rolls his eyes and I laugh. Then I remember meeting Mr. Mellark today.

"Suzanne, do you know Jonathan?" I ask. She freezes and looks up at me, nodding. "I think you two should date or something, you're both single, and friendly, and-"

"Finnick, my Dad's not single." Peeta says. I roll my eyes.

"He practically is, didn't you say he wanted to divorce soon?" I say. Peeta shrugs slightly and I nod. "You see? But anyway, I think you two would really make a cute couple." I say, wiggling my eyes at Mrs. Everdeen. She's just staring at me with wide eyes.

"Finnick, shut the fuck up." Peeta hisses, soft enough for only me to hear. I raise an eyebrow. What was wrong with what I just said?

"Uh, that's- Mr. Mellark and I are friends, I mean- oh, dinner time." Mrs. Everdeen says, running out of the room. Okay. That was.. _normal._ She closes the door behind her and Katniss glares at me.

"What?" I ask.

"We don't want our parent to get together. They have a thing for each other, but it's just.. it would be weird." Peeta says. I frown.

"Why would it be weird?"

"Because, well, say they got married, Katniss would be my stepsister."

"What's wrong with- Oooooh." I say. He's right, that would be _really_ weird.

"You see? So we'd appreciate it if you didn't _encourage_ her to date my father." Peeta says. I laugh and pretend to lock my lips with a key. Peeta just rolls his eyes and kicks me again.

**Author's Note: Oh my god, I'm so mean. I'm sorry, dinner will be in the next chapter, otherwise this chapter would be too long. It will be up sometime in the next few days! :)**


	50. Chapter 50

**Author's Note: Oh my god, this story has over 1000 reviews. Thankyouthankyouthankyou! This is really unbelievable. As a thank-you-present, Finnick will send you all a virtual hug and a sugar cube, 'kay? :) Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 50_

**Gale's POV**

Okay, take a deep breath. You can do this, Hawthorne. You've done braver things, like hunt, and tell Madge you liked her, and fight with boys at school. You can do this. _Then why is my heart beating so quick?_

Madge squeezes my hand once and looks up with a small smirk on her face.

"I can't believe you're so scared." She says. I snort.

"I- I'm not scared. At all. Pfft. _Scared_." Madge laughs and knocks on the door. I straighten my shirt and run a hand through my hair. The door opens and Mayor Undersee looks me up and down once.

"Gale Hawthorne. Good to see you." He says, sticking his hand out. I shake his hand and smile.

"Good to see you too, mayor Undersee." I say. He nods once and then gives Madge a kiss on the top of her head.

"Hi Dad. What's for dinner?" She asks, walking past him. He gestures for me to walk in. Then he closes the door behind us. He tells Madge what's for dinner, but I don't listen. Madge's house was unbelievable.

"Gale?" My head snaps back to Madge and she laughs. "I was just asking if you'd like me to show you the house." She says. I nod and follow her. She shows me the living room, and the _entertainment_ room. Like, seriously, who has a freaking entertainment room?! She also shows me the dining room, and tells me there are three bedrooms, and four bathrooms. Then we arrive at her bedroom. She opens the door and walks in. I walk in behind her and close the door.

"It's.. pink." I say, looking around. Her whole bedroom was different shades of pink. Madge chuckles.

"Yeah, I had an obsession with the color pink, princesses, and ponies when I was younger." She says. I laugh and sit down on a comfortable egg-shaped seat. I think her room was bigger than mine and Rory's together.

"You really have an amazing house." I say, looking around. She smiles and thanks me. Then she makes her bed. I thought the cleaners would have done that for her. While she's busy, my phone buzzes. It's a text from Finnick.

_So, how's it going? Are you being all prince charming? Has the father given you his blessing yet? What's the house like?_

I roll my eyes and text something back quickly.

_The house is like a palace. I only said hi to her father, we're in Madge's bedroom now._

Literally ten seconds after I send the text, I get a text back. Finnick was a quick texter.

_Shit, Gale, I don't even want to know. Use protection, okay? I don't think mayor Undersee would be too happy if you made his only daughter pregnant at the age of 16. _

Fuck you, Finnick. I roll my eyes again and just put my phone in my pocket. I wasn't even going to respond to that. Madge turns around and then laughs.

"What?" I ask.

"You still look really nervous." She smirks.

"Yeah, well, I'm just about to have dinner with my girlfriend's father, who happens to be a freakin' mayor." I say. She rolls her eyes and walks over to me.

"Gale, he's just a normal guy. Okay? Just a normal man, someone you'd talk to on the street or at school. Only he happens to wear a suit all the time and be in charge of a District." I laugh and pull her wrist so she falls on top of me. I shift her so she's sitting on my lap. She rests her head on my chest and I wrap my arms around her waist.

"By the way, don't worry, I won't pull a Finnick and tell your Dad that I know where you got your good looks from." I say. She laughs and looks up at me. I give her a kiss and she smiles, putting a hand on my cheek.

"Dinner's rea-" We both lean back quickly and look at the door. Madge's father was standing there, staring at us. We hadn't even heard the door open. _Fuck._ Madge jumps off of my lap and looks down.

"I'm, uh, sorry. Dinner's ready, so.. yeah." Mayor Undersee murmurs. Then he just turns around and walks away.

"Shit. Your Dad probably hates me for making out with his daughter." I say, standing up. Madge chuckles and grabs my hand.

"It'll be fine. Just.. don't kiss me in front of him, okay?" She says as she closes the door behind us.

"I'll try." I whisper as we walk down the stairs, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She smiles and squeezes my hand before we walk into the dining room. Madge's father was already sitting down, at the end of the table. We both sit down at one of the longer sides, opposite each other.

"Where's Mom?" Madge asks. Mayor Undersee looks up.

"Sleeping. She's doesn't feel too well." He says softly. Madge nods slightly and looks down. Madge told me her mother had been sick for a few years now. She had bad days, and she had better days. Apparently today was a bad day.

As if this moment of silence couldn't be any more awkward, Madge's father just keeps staring at me. I swallow hard and look down. Then three waiters walk in, each with a big plate. They put it down in front of us and mayor Undersee thanks them. They nod once and walk away.

"Well, bon appetit!" Madge's father says. I look down and swallow hard. Why were there three different kinds of knifes and forks? I look up and see Madge and her father have already begun. There was fish, and some potatoes, and some greens. Madge's father looks up and raises an eyebrow.

"What, not hungry?" He jokes. I smile and shake my head. I look down and pick up the fork and knife in the middle. Then I look up at Madge with wide eyes. She smirks slightly and gives me a thumbs up. I smile and start eating the fish.

"So, Gale. Would you like some wine?" Mayor Undersee asks. I look up and swallow. This is a test, I'm sure it is.

"No, thank you. I'm fine with water." I say. He stares at me for a moment and then nods, a small smile playing on his lips. Phew. I eat again and sip at my water. There's was a bit of an uncomfortable silence. Madge was just glancing up at me and her father. I was trying to remember to use table manners. And I had this feeling Mayor Undersee was still staring at me.

"Do you still hunt?" He asks after a while. I look up and shake my head.

"No, sir. There isn't any woods in District 4, so... yeah. I don't." I say. _What a sentence_. He nods slightly and takes a sip of wine.

"And how is the family? Rory still getting into trouble all the time?" He asks, smiling. I chuckle and nod.

"He sure is. The family's fine. They've all gotten used to District 4 by now." I say.

"Why did you move, anyway? What's wrong with my District?" He says. The smile was gone. Oh fuck.

"T- There's nothing wrong with- my mother- she-" I stutter. He starts laughing and I sigh.

"I'm only joking, Hawthorne." He says. I smile slightly and stuff my mouth with a potato. Oh, shit, manners. I try to swallow it quickly and nearly choke. I put my knife and fork down and put my hand over my mouth.

"Gale, are you okay?" Madge asks as I cough. I nod and cough again. Could this dinner get any worse? I try to grab my glass of water. Suddenly I knock it over and there's water all over the table. _Fuck it_. I cough again and then swallow hard.

"I'm so sorry-" I say, trying to absorb all of the water with my small napkin. A waiter comes in and cleans the table, removing all of the water. Then he leaves and I look down, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Um, Dad, how was that meeting you went to this morning?" Madge says quickly, pretending that scene just didn't happen.

"Oh, it was the usual.." He starts talking about the meeting and Madge smiles at me. After a few minutes there's a silence again. We were all finished. Mayor Undersee clears his throat once and then calls one of the waiters. He collects our plates and comes back with three bowls a few minutes later.

"Oh, dessert." Madge says, raising one eyebrow slightly. Her father gives her a wink and then tells us to enjoy. It was a big waffle, with ice cream, melted chocolate and strawberries. I take a bite and sigh. This was delicious.

"This is nice." Mayor Undersee says. Madge and I nod quickly. After a few minutes we're all done and filled.

"That was lovely." I say. Madge's father smiles at me. Then we hear the phone ring in the living room.

"I'll get it." Madge says, standing up and walking out of the room. She closes the door and I gulp. I was alone with her father. Okay, relax. I play with my spoon, twirling it around a bit, until it falls onto the floor and makes a loud sound against the wood. I pick it up and put it down carefully. Oh god. This was so awkward.

"So, how is school going?" Mayor Undersee asks after a few moments. I look up and shrug slightly.

"It's going okay. My grades aren't bad." I say. He nods slightly and stares at me again. I rub the back of my neck nervously and look around the room. Where was Madge?! It felt like she had been gone for hours!

"Hawthorne?" I turn my head and look at him. His face was more serious than I had seen it all day. I gulp and nod.

"Yes?"

"Do you love my daughter?"

Finnick said he'd probably ask this question. I had thought of a long, sweet, polite answer before we came. But.. what was it again?

"Y-yes." I stutter. Shit, now it sounds like I don't mean it. He raises one eyebrow slightly and I exhale sharply.

"I love Madge. A lot." I say. It felt so weird to talk to her father like this. He nods slightly and then leans forward slightly, looking me in the eye.

"You better. She's head over heels for you. The mayor of District 4 is a friend of mine. He can make his peacekeepers do stuff. If you break my darling's heart, I'll make sure my friend and his peacekeepers find out, are we clear?" He says softly. I nod my head quickly. He smiles and then puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Alright then. Welcome to the family." He smiles, and the scary, threatening mayor of a second ago is gone. _Wait, did I just get his blessing or something? _I smile and thank him. Just then Madge comes in.

"Who was it?" Her father asks.

"Oh, just this girl from school I know." She says and shrugs slightly. Then she looks at me. "Wanna go to the living room?" She asks. I glance at her father and he smiles. I smile back and then nod.

"Sure. Thanks for the dinner, Mayor Undersee."

"You're welcome, Gale."

Madge and I walk out of the dining room and into the living room. She closes the door and then hugs me.

"That went well, didn't it?" She asks. I nearly snort. I nearly choked, spilled water, stuttered, blushed, dropped a spoon, got threatened, and then, I _think_, got her father's blessing.

"Yeah." I say, giving her a quick kiss. She smiles and I look around the room. My eyes fall on a big piano in the corner of the room.

"Your father plays piano?" I ask, walking over to it. She chuckles and shakes her head.

"He can't play at all."

"Oh. So who _does_ play the piano?" I ask, sitting down on the small piano bench. She sits next to me and shrugs slightly.

"I do."

I gape at her for a moment. "I didn't know that. Why didn't you ever tell me?" I say. She shrugs again.

"I don't know." She says as she trails her fingers over the keys.

"Play me something." Her head snaps to me and she blushes slightly.

"I'm no good."

"I don't care, play me something. Please?" I say. She sighs and straightens her back. Suddenly her fingers start flying over the piano, playing a beautiful song. I just gape at her, until two minutes later she's done. She blushes again and looks down.

"I told you I wasn't any good." She mumbles. I turn her head carefully and rest my forehead against hers.

"_You_, Madge Undersee, are amazing. Can you teach me a song?" I grin. She chuckles and nods.

"Sure. Just do this..." She presses some keys slowly and then looks at me. I imitate her and she nods. Then she does another few. I try to imitate her again, but she was too quick, and I don't do it correctly. I try it again and again, but it doesn't work. She smiles and rests her hand on mine. She presses the keys softly and then just leaves her hand on mine. We sit there for a moment, her hand on mine. Then we both turn around at exactly then same time and crash our lips against each other's.

"I really love you." I murmur against her lips.

"Shut up." She grins mischievously, pulling me closer. I chuckle and wrap my arms around her waist.

"Okay." I pull her onto my lap and she wraps her legs around my waist.

"Miss Undersee? Phone for.. you.." We both lean back quickly. Madge turns around and glares at the cleaner for a moment before sighing and standing up.

"Thank you." She says before taking the phone. The cleaner nods once, smirks at me for a moment, and then walks away. Madge walks over to me and sits down on my lap.

"Hello? Oh, hi Peeta. Uhu. Yeah, it was great. We were just... ugh, shut up Peeta. Like you never make out with... Uhu. Haha, no! Yeah. Uhu.. No. Nearly. Okay. Sure, we'll be there in half an hour. Alright. Alrighty. Bye Peeta. Uhu, bye!" She puts the phone down and then turns her head to look at me.

"What did he want?" I ask. She shrugs slightly.

"He said Finnick's got an announcement to make, and he's making it in half an hour, with or without us. So we better go." She says, standing up.

"Aw, but I was just getting cozy!" I say, standing up and wrapping my arms around her again. She chuckles and gives me a kiss on the cheeks before dragging me out of the room. She walks to her father and gives him a hug.

"Dad, we're going. I'll be home in a few days, I'm staying at Katniss' again." She says.

"Alright sweetie, have fun. Gale, thanks for coming." He says, patting my shoulder. I smile.

"Thanks for having me. Nice seeing you again." I say before Madge drags me out of the room. We walk outside and I notice it's getting quite dark already. I slide my fingers into Madge's and we walk slowly.

"I had a really nice day." She says softly. I smile and nod slowly.

"Me too."

"First date I've ever had."

"What? No way." I say in disbelief.

"Yes way. Boys don't often ask me out, and if they do, there are always a load of other people with us as well so it isn't an actual date."

"Oh. Wow."

"What?"

"I thought you would have been on a load of dates."

"Why?"

"Well, because you're.. you. You're pretty, and nice, and funny, and I just expected that a load of boys would have asked you out in the past." I say softly. She chuckles and squeezes my hand softly.

"Nah. They're all wimps. They wouldn't ask me out because my father's the mayor."

"Pft. That's so silly. I mean, what's scary about your father being the mayor?" I say sarcastically. She laughs and nudges me with her elbow.

"Shut up, Hawthorne."

"Make me."

She stops walking and narrows her eyes at me. I cross my arms and narrow my eyes as well. I'm sure she could see the dare in my eyes. _Kiss me, Madge. I dare you_. After a few seconds she walks over to me slowly and stands on her tiptoes. Our faces were only inches apart. She leans in slowly and I close my eyes, expecting to feel her lips on mine any second now.

"_Nope_." She whispers, popping the 'p' at the end. I open my eyes and see her walking away with a smug grin on her face.

**Katniss' POV**

The door opens and Gale and Madge walk in.

"Ugh, finally! What took you so long?" Finnick says. They both start blushing and Gale rubs his neck.

"Something got in the way." He says.

"What, your hormones?" Peeta mumbles. I laugh and he smiles. Madge rolls her eyes and whacks Peeta's free arm as she walks past us and sits next to me. Gale sits next to her and Finnick stands up.

"Okay, so now everyone's _finally_ here," he says, narrowing his eyes at Madge and Gale playfully, "it's time for my announcement." He clears his throat and Annie jumps up.

"Wait wait wait, I'll get us all some hot chocolate!" She says, walking into the kitchen. Finnick sighs and I chuckle. I lean into Madge and she turns her head slightly.

"How was the date?" I whisper. She grins and gives me a look, saying _amazing_. I would have never imagined Gale to be.. romantic. I smile and lean back again.

A few seconds later Annie walks back in and gives us all a mug of hot chocolate. Then we all sit in a circle on the ground. Finnick clears his throat again and stands up.

"I, Finnick Odair, am going to model for a magazine!" He says, grinning. We all gasp and jump up, giving him hugs and saying congratulations.

"I never knew you wanted to be a model." Madge says. He shrugs slightly and grins sheepishly.

"Well, I have a hot body, so why not?" He says. We all chuckle and roll our eyes.

"My Finnie's going to be in a magazine. Oh, this might be the start of your successful modeling career!" Annie says. He laughs and shakes his head slightly.

"It's just a small thing. I get half a page, somewhere in the back. I have to model with some other guy."

"Are you modeling clothes or something?" I ask. He nods.

"The newest 'capitol fashion for the districts' or something."

"I hope they give you bright pink skinny jeans and make you dye your hair green." Gale says, smirking. We all laugh as Finnick's face goes pale.

"Oh, Peeta, you should announce your news too." I whisper. He frowns.

"What news?" He asks. I run a hand up his arm and squeeze his biceps softly.

"_That_ news."

"Oh." He says, grinning. He stands up and clears his throat. "Okay, so um, I have an announcement too. It's not as big as Finnick's, but... well, Finnick, sit down." He says. Finnick sits down and everyone stares at Peeta. He swallows once.

"I'm joining the school's wrestling team!" He says. Everyone jumps up and hugs him, just like they did with Finnick's news. They congratulate him and he smiles. Finnick's eyes go wide as everyone sits down again.

"So that's why you kept drooling over him today!" Finnick says, pointing at me. I feel my cheeks go red and roll my eyes.

"Shut it, Finnick." I murmur. Everyone laughs and Peeta smiles sweetly at me. He puts a hand on my cheek and I sigh contently. I smile and he grins.

"Oh, they're having a _moment_." Madge whispers. I choose to ignore her and lean in to give Peeta a soft kiss. When I lean back I can feel everyone's stare on me. I feel my cheeks burn up and look down.

"Oh my god!" Annie yells. I look up and see her staring at me. "Is that the promise ring?" She stands up and runs over to me, dropping onto her knees in front of me. I look down and see the little ring on my finger.

"Oh. Yes." I say.

"Oh my god, can I see?" She squeals. I chuckle and take it off for her. She examines it closely and then reads the inside. Her eyes widen and she bites her bottom lip.

"Oh my god, that's sooo sweet!" In the past twenty seconds, she's said 'oh my god' three times already. I smile and nod.

"I know, right?" Madge says, leaning over to look at the ring as well. Annie looks up at Peeta.

"You are _so_ romantic!" She says. Peeta grins. Annie turns to Finnick and narrows her eyes at him.

"You should be more romantic." She says. Finnick rolls his eyes.

"Peeta, you're making us look really bad." Gale jokes. Peeta laughs and shrugs slightly.

"Sorry, can't help that I'm just a better boyfriend than both of you." He smirks. Finnick snorts and we laugh. Then we all just sit down and drink our hot chocolate, which was now only _warm_ chocolate. I lean against Peeta's arm a bit and he gives me quick kiss on the cheek. After a while we're all done. We put the mugs away and start getting ready for bed. While I'm in the bathroom brushing my teeth, someone knocks on the door.

"I'm doing my teeth, give me a sec!" I say. The door opens slightly and Peeta's head looks at me. I raise an eyebrow and he grins, coming in and closing the door behind him. I spit the toothpaste out and put my toothbrush away.

"Peeta?" I say as he walks over to me. He puts a finger on my mouth.

"Shh." He whispers, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Did you seriously sneak in here without anybody noticing?" I whisper. He nods. I roll my eyes.

"What? Am I not allowed to have some alone time with my girlfriend?" He teases. I chuckle.

"Sure, but in the bathroom?"

"Well I didn't think you'd want an audience."

"Why wouldn't I want an audience?" I ask, raising one eyebrow. He grins and gives me a long kiss. Oh. That's why. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me.

"You taste like mint." He murmurs against my lips. I chuckle and run my hands through his curls. When we lean back for air after a few moments, I think of something.

"Peeta?"

"Hmm?" He murmurs as he kisses down my jaw.

"You're not going to flirt with some other girl tomorrow night, are you?" He stops kissing me and rolls his eyes.

"What do you think? Seriously Katniss, sometimes I even wonder if you have a brain." He teases, kissing the top of my head once.

"But you'll probably get drunk." I say, straightening his pajama shirt.

"Not drunk enough to forget about you." I smile and open the bathroom door. Everybody in the room turns around and stares at Peeta and I.

"Well well well. In the bathroom. That's _nasty_, Peeta. I have to brush my teeth in there." Finnick says. We walk out quickly as I feel my cheeks burn.

"Shut up, Finnick." Peeta says, punching his arm.

"Why does _everyone_ always tell me to shut up? It hurts my feelings, you know." He says, putting a hand on his chest. We all laugh and sit down on the mattresses.

"Alright, time for bed. Finnick, get your ass over here." Annie says. We all burst out laughing as Finnick walks over to her quickly and lies down. The rest of us lie down as well and I turn the lights off. Peeta pulls me close and wraps his arms around me.

We all say goodnight and get comfy.

"Katniss?" Peeta whispers.

"Uhu?"

"I love you."

I smile and snuggle into his chest.

"I love you too."

**Author's Note: So that was the chapter. Again, thanks for all the reviews. You do _not_ know how excited I was this morning. I realized the story had 1000 reviews and jumped off of the sofa, spilling cola everywhere, dropping my sandwich, and scaring my mom and little sister. They just looked at me like: … _what_. So yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if they send me to the nuthouse soon. But if they don't, the next update will be sometime in the next few days! :)**


	51. Chapter 51

**Author's Note: I'm _so_ sorry it took so long for me to update! Life's just being a bitch right now, and I literally had _no_ free time at all, till right now. Thanks for waiting, here's chapter 51, and to make up for how long it took me to update, it's a bit longer than usual! :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 51_

**Katniss' POV**

"Gale, could you.. help me in the kitchen?" She whispers.

I open my left eye slightly and see Gale nodding with a mischievous grin. Madge grins as well and they sneak out of the room, into the kitchen. I wonder what they're going to do. I hear the kitchen door close and then silence. I smile and shake my head slightly.

"Oh, you saw them sneak out too?" Peeta asks. I look up and smile at him.

"Yeah. They aren't exactly quiet." I say, resting my chin on his chest. He smiles and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I look around and see Annie and Finnick are still fast asleep, as always. Peeta tightens his arms around my waist for a second and then gently pushes me off, standing up and stretching his back. I stretch my arms and gesture for him to help me up. He bends down and pulls me up forcefully. I fly off of the ground and fall into his arms. He wraps both arms around me and grins down at me. I smile and stand on my tiptoes to give him a kiss.

"Uuuugh, I wake up and the first thing I see is you two making out." Finnick groans. We both lean back and roll our eyes at him. He pulls the quilt over his head and turns around. We both chuckle and walk into the kitchen. When we open the door, Madge and Gale are making out passionately.

"Well, no surprise there." Peeta murmurs as he walks past them, grabbing two cups. Gale and Madge lean back and glare at him.

"Peeta, I'm only here for four or five days. Let me enjoy Madge's lips." He grins cheekily. Madge blushes and I laugh. Peeta makes some tea for the two of us, as Gale and Madge don't like tea. After a few minutes Annie walks in.

"Isn't Finnick up yet?" Gale asks.

"Oh he's awake, he's just too lazy to get out of bed." Annie smiles, sitting next to us. We all chuckle as Finnick drags himself into the kitchen about ten minutes later.

"Good morning, Finnick!" Madge says happily. He looks up at her and nods once before looking at his water again. "Sleep well?" She asks. He nods again and his eyes droop a bit.

"Finnick, wake up." I say, waving my hand in front of his face. He blinks once.

"I am, I am... awake." He mumbles, his elbow sliding until his head is resting on the table.

"Don't make me throw cold water on you again." I smirk. His eyes shoot open and he sits up straight.

"I'm fine. Stay away from me." He says quickly, rubbing his eyes. Everyone laughs and I ruffle Finnick's hair. He rolls his eyes and smiles.

After a while Prim and my mother come downstairs as well, and we all have breakfast together.

"By the way, Rue asked about you." Prim says after a while, smirking sideways at Finnick. He sighs and rolls his eyes.

"Shut it, rosy cheeks." He murmurs.

"Rosy cheeks?" Madge says. Finnick looks up at her and nods.

"Prim_rose_. _Rosy_ cheeks. Because her cheeks were redder than a tomato when Liam held her hand." He says, smirking back at Prim. Her smile fades and she blushes. Finnick laughs and points at her. "Ya see? Rosy cheeks!" He exclaims. We all laugh and Prim rolls her eyes slightly, looking down. After a while we're all done with breakfast and we get dressed. I put some long pants on and a blue t-shirt. I also put a gray cardigan on, because it looked like it was going to be a cold day again. When I walk downstairs, everyone's waiting for me.

"So what are we gonna do today?" Peeta asks. Everybody just turns to me. I sigh and shrug.

"I don't know, what do you want to do?" I ask, looking at Gale, Finnick and Annie.

"Can we go shopping? I need new shoes, pants and a pair of tights." Annie says. I snort.

"_You_ need new shoes?" I ask in disbelief. She nods.

"I need green ones. My old green ones aren't the right shade of green to match my new green dress I bought a few days ago."

I see the three boys roll their eyes behind her, and feel like doing the same. Annie had at least 30 pairs of shoes already. I sigh and shrug slightly.

"Alright then. Let's go." I say, grabbing my coat. Madge and Annie grin and the boys groan. Everyone grabs their coats and puts their shoes on. Finnick even grabs a big, woolly scarf.

"Finnick, you're in District 12, not some winter wonderland." Peeta says. We all laugh as Finnick shrugs and wraps it around his neck.

"It's freezing out there. I don't want to get sick." He says. When we're all ready, we go outside and walk to town. Annie drags us into the first shoe shop she sees. She tries on ten different shoes, then decides none of them are what she wants. We go to about five shoe shops before she finally finds a pair she likes.

"Finnie, what do you think?" She asks, twirling around. I turn my head and see the three boys leaning against the wall, looking bored.

"Lovely." Finnick says.

"You said that about all of the other shoes too." Annie says, biting her bottom lip.

"No, no, these are really lovely. I think you should buy them." He smiles. She sighs and nods.

"Alright. Thanks sweetie!" She says, walking up to him and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before taking the high heels off and going to pay for them. Meanwhile Madge is trying on a pair of pink high heels. She twirls once and then walks over to us.

"I really like these high heels. Do you like them?" She asks to no one in particular.

"They're nice," I offer. I didn't really see any difference between this pair and the pair of pink high heels she already has at home, but she seems to like them.

"What do you think, Gale?" She says after smiling at me. He looks at them for a moment before shrugging slightly.

"They're... nice, I suppose." He says. Madge frowns.

"'Nice, you suppose'. What does _that_ mean?"

"They're nice. I just don't understand _why_ you'd want to wear them." He says.

"Why, because you don't like them?"

"No, Madge, I told you already: I like them. They're nice. Really. I just don't understand why you'd want to wear those high heels. They look really painful." He says. She sighs and smiles.

"Oh, okay. Thanks." She turns around and walks over to Annie. Gale sighs.

"My god, I thought she was going to rip my head off. Why do girls get so sensitive if it's about shoes?" He murmurs, eyes wide. Peeta puts an arm around my waist and grins.

"Well _my _girlfriend isn't like that." He says, grinning smugly. I chuckle and Gale rolls his eyes again. Then I walk over to the shoes and pick a pair of black high heels up.

"Peeta, do you like these? I'm not sure. I might just have to try another twenty pairs. What do you think?" I joke. He chuckles and walks over to me. He puts both hands on my cheeks and looks me in the eye.

"You could wear the ugliest shoes in the world and I wouldn't even care. You're beautiful." He whispers. I drop the shoes and wrap both arms around his neck, pushing my lips against his roughly.

**Finnick's POV**

"Ugh, that's what we should have said." I say, pointing at Peeta and Katniss. Katniss had just dropped the shoes on jumped on Peeta. Now they were having a heavy make-out session, in the middle of the shop. An elderly woman walks past with a shocked expression on her face.

"I'm sorry ma'am, they just couldn't help their selves. Teenagers these days, right?" I grin. She just shakes her head disapprovingly and walks out. Gale laughs. Then Annie and Madge walk over to us, each with a bag in their hands.

"Where are Peeta and... oh." Madge says, rolling her eyes their way. She hands Gale her bag and then walks over to them and slaps Peeta's arm. He leans back and gasps, rubbing his arm.

"Madge, that hurt!" He says, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Come on, we still have shops to go to." She says, walking away. We all laugh and walk out of the shop. Annie and Madge immediately drag us into a gigantic clothes shop. Oh my god.

"We'll be.. over there." I say, dragging Peeta and Gale with me to some seats in the corner. The three of us sit down and sigh. After a while Gale groans.

"How long have we been waiting for?" He asks. Peeta looks at the clock and frowns.

"Five minutes."

Gale groans again and leans his head back. Peeta and I chuckle and watch as Annie and Madge zoom around the shop, picking up clothes and putting it in their basket, or giving it to the other, or even to Katniss sometimes.

"So Gale, you never told us. How was your cheesy 'picnic-in-a-tree' date?" I ask. He rolls his eyes and smiles.

"It was amazing. I think she liked it."

"Oh, she did. I haven't seen her smile so happily in ages." Peeta says, nudging Gale with his elbow. Gale smiles and leans his head back again.

We talk for ages, about everything we can think of. It takes half an hour before they're back, but it feels like hours. I hold Annie's bags for her, and Gale does the same for Madge. Then Peeta stands up and raises both eyebrows, staring at a bag in Katniss' hand. Katniss blushes slightly and shrugs.

"According to Madge and Annie I needed new clothes..." She says, raising her bag a bit. Peeta grabs her bag and gives her a kiss on the cheek. Then we all walk out.

"Well, I think it's time for lunch." I say, looking for a place that sells fries.

"You always think it's time for lunch." Gale murmurs. I punch his shoulder softly and laugh. We find a place that sells fries and hamburgers, my favorite, and walk in.

"Why don't you find a table, and we'll order." Peeta says to the girls. They nod and walk away. We stand in line and wait till it's our turn.

"Hi, can I.. oh, _hello_." The girl behind the counter says. She smiles seductively and twirls her hair around her finger.

"Hi. Um, can I have two hamburgers and two large fries please?" I ask. She nods and grins.

"Sure. Give me a minute." She winks and then walks to the back. Peeta snorts and I roll my eyes.

"Did you see the way she was smiling? I think she was mentally undressing you." Gale whispers. I freeze and subconsciously rest my hands in front of my bits. Peeta laughs and nudges my side. I look up and see she's walking over to me again, a tray in one hand, and a milkshake in the other. She puts them down in front of me and I give her the money.

"Um, I didn't order a milkshake.." I say. She smiles.

"Oh, I know. See it as a gift. Maybe you can do something for me in the future as well..." She says and winks again. I gulp and pick it up.

"Uh, thanks. Bye!" I say and walk over to the table the girls are seated at. I put the tray down and give the milkshake to Annie.

"Aw, Finn! Thank you! You always know exactly what I want." She says and gives me a kiss. I chuckle and shrug slightly.

"Yeah.." I say and pick up my hamburger. A few minutes later Peeta and Gale sit down as well. They hand Katniss and Madge what they wanted and then turn to me.

"So did she give you her number?" Peeta jokes. Annie freezes and narrows her eyes at me.

"Who is Peeta talking about, Finnick?" She says. I swallow hard and glare at Peeta for a moment before turning to Annie.

"No one." I say.

"That girl behind the counter was throwing herself at him. She even gave him a free milkshake." Gale says. Annie puts her milkshake down and stares at me. I run a hand through my hair and bite on my bottom lip.

"Annie, it was nothing. I totally ignored her. Really. You can ask Peeta." I say quickly. Annie turns to Peeta and raises an eyebrow. He glances at me and then nods. Annie sighs and picks up her milkshake again.

"Alright then." She murmurs. I smile and give her a kiss on the cheek. We eat the rest of our lunch in a comfortable silence. Next to me Peeta and Katniss are giggling softly and feeding each other fries. I roll my eyes and finish my fries. I see Gale talking to Madge. He still has half a hamburger left. I pick it up without him noticing and take a gigantic bite. Then I put it back. He laughs at something Madge says and then picks up his hamburger again. He frowns and then looks at me. I grin and he glares.

"Finnick!" He groans. I swallow the big bite and laugh.

"That's for that time you took my crisps." I say. He frowns again and then rolls his eyes.

"That was weeks ago."

"I never forgot." I grin. Everyone laughs and I pick up one of the napkins. When I wipe my hands off of it, I notice something. There's something scribbled on the back. I turn it around and look at the writing.

_Call me sometime? -Jess_

Under that she had written her phone number. Peeta leans over and looks at the napkin. He snorts and then starts laughing. Everyone stares at us and I throw the napkin down.

"What are you laughing about?" Katniss asks. Peeta picks up the napkin and hands it to her. She reads it and then laughs as well. The napkin goes round the table until everyone's read it. Annie rolls her eyes.

"That _Jess_ doesn't really think you're going to call her, does she?" She scoffs. I chuckle and shrug. Annie grabs the napkin and shakes her head slightly. "Unbelievable. Who writes their number on a napkin, and then gives it to some random stranger?" She says.

"Well, I'm not just a random stranger. I'm a _hot_, random stranger." I say. Everyone laughs again and Annie puts the napkin down. We finish and I walk to the bin to throw away our trash. I turn around and nearly gasp. The girl from behind the counter, Jess, was standing in front of me.

"Oh, hi! I think you just threw your napkin away." She says. I glance at the bin and nod.

"Yeah, I did."

"Oh, silly you! I'll give you another one." She says, grabbing a pen and napkin from her pocket. _What?!_

"That won't be necessary." I say quickly, walking around her. She steps in front of me again and rests a hand on my arm.

"Oh, _someone_ works out a lot." She mutters, running her hand up and down my arm. I step backwards and shake my head.

"I'm sorry, Jess?" I say. She nods and twists her hair around her finger again.

"I have a girlfriend, and-" I get interrupted by two arms wrapping around my left arm. I look down and see Annie smiling up at me sweetly. Jess glares at her and then shoves the napkin into my hand.

"Just think about it, okay?" She says before turning around and walking back to the counter. I wrap an arm around Annie's waist and give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks for coming to the rescue. I don't think she would have left me alone otherwise." I whisper. Annie smiles and grabs the napkin from my hand. She walks over to the bin but then freezes. She looks back at me and grins mischievously before walking over to a bunch of boys. She taps one of them on the shoulder and he turns around.

"Hi, my friend over there," she points at Jess, "wanted me to give you this." With that she puts down the napkin and turns around. She drags me out, and all I can see is one of the other boys giving the boy a high five. I chuckle and follow the others home. After about half an hour we're in Katniss' living room again. Prim walks in and sits down on the sofa.

"Have a good time?" She asks.

"Oh, amazing! Wanna see my new clothes?" Annie says enthusiastically. Prim nods happily and follows her out of the room. Then Madge nudges Katniss' arm.

"Why don't you try on your new stuff, see if they fit?" She says. I think I notice a small, cheeky grin, but after a few seconds it's gone and I wonder if I just imagined it. Katniss nods and picks up her bag, walking out of the room.

**Katniss' POV**

I walk upstairs and empty the bag over my bed. Suddenly I notice something lacy. I pick it up and gasp. Someone knocks on the door and then comes in. Madge walks in with an amused grin.

"Oh, you found it." She says.

"What the hell is this?!" I exclaim, holding up the red, lacy bra. She chuckles and walks over to the pile of clothes on my bed.

"That, Katniss, is called a bra. You wear it to-"

"I _know_ what a bra is, Madge. How did it end up in my bag?"

"Oh, I might have bought it for you. There's matching panties as well."

"...What? Why?" I raise an eyebrow. She grins.

"Because I was looking for socks in your underwear drawer this morning and noticed you only have plain, black bra's. So, I thought I'd get you something nicer. Plus, I thought it would be a nice present for Peeta." She whispers the last bit. My jaw drops and I feel my cheeks blush.

"Out." I say, pointing at the door.

"Katniss-"

"Get out."

"Alright. Try on those clothes, okay?" She winks before walking out and closing the door behind her. I roll my eyes and try on my new clothes. Luckily, they all fit perfectly. Except for the skinny jeans. They're so.. skinny. I close the button and then walk downstairs.

"Annie, these feel _really_ tight." I murmur, turning slightly to see the back. She rolls her eyes.

"They're skinny jeans for a reason, Katniss. They look amazing on you though, you really have a nice figure." Annie says. I smile and turn around. I see Peeta staring at me. He's leaning against the door frame, biting on his bottom lip.

"Peeta, are you alright?" I ask, walking over to him. He blinks and then smiles.

"Oh, I'm fine. And so are you." He says, grinning cheekily. I laugh and slap his arm.

"Shut up, Peeta, you're starting to sound like Louis or Roger." I say. He laughs and twirls me around slowly.

"Are they skinny jeans?" He asks. I nod. He lets go and walks over to Annie. Suddenly he gives her a hug.

"Thank you." He says. Both of us laugh and I blush slightly. Then Finnick walks in and whistles.

"Whoa Katpiss, I didn't know you had amazing legs." He says, smirking at me. I roll my eyes and slap his arm. Then we all sit down in the living room. Madge and Gale come back in as well.

"Where did you go?" Peeta asks. Then his eyes widen slightly. "Never mind, I don't want to know." We all laugh and Madge blushes slightly. Then we decide to watch a movie.

"Horror movie! Let's watch a horror!" Gale says loudly. I raise my eyebrows at him.

"We watched a horror movie last time you came.." Madge says. Gale shrugs.

"So?" He says, putting the movie on. Peeta closes the curtains and turns the lights off. Then I see why Gale wanted to watch a horror movie. Madge sits on his lap and buries her head in his chest a bit, so she can only see with her right eye. Gale wraps his arms around her and grins smugly. I roll my eyes and sit next to Peeta. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me close.

The movie starts and Annie quickly runs out to grab a gigantic bowl of popcorn. Then she sits down again. It's a good movie, and very scary. After an hour it's the scariest scene so far. The girl in the movie is walking around the empty hospital. Everyone was quiet, tensed, and watching with wide eyes.

"Don't go around the corner.." Madge whispers. Suddenly the girl sees something in the window. Annie yells and Peeta jumps. I squeeze his hand and swallow hard. The girl walks into an empty, dark room and sits down, staring at the door.

Suddenly the living room door swings open. Annie, Madge and Finnick scream, and Gale jumps, making the bowl of popcorn fly into the air. We all get covered in popcorn and Prim just stares at us.

"Uh, I didn't mean to scare you.." She says. We all burst out laughing.

"Finnick, you just screamed like a girl!" Peeta says, tightening his grip around my waist a bit. Finnick blushes and shakes his head slightly.

"Prim scared me, okay?" He murmurs.

"A small 13-year-old girl _scared_ you?" Madge teases. We all laugh again and turn the movie off. It was going to be time for dinner soon anyway. As if on cue, my mother walks in, telling us dinner is ready. We stand up and walk over to the table. Peeta puts one hand on my cheek, while the other picks popcorn out of my hair. I do the same for him and then give him a quick kiss. We all sit down.

"This looks delicious, Suzanne. You really outdid yourself." Finnick says, bringing his fork to his mouth again. My mother smiles and thanks him. We eat dinner quickly, and after that wash up. Then Gale says the boys better get ready. Peeta and Finnick nod and walk out of the room. Annie, Madge and I watch tv for fifteen minutes, until the three boys walk in again. I stand up and walk into Peeta's arms.

"You look nice." I say softly, straightening his shirt for him. He smiles and thanks me. I straighten his hair a bit too, and then leave my hand on his cheek.

"Do you want to come with us?" Peeta asks. Before I can even open my mouth, Finnick's at our side, pulling Peeta away from me.

"What the hell Peeta, don't you remember me telling you the one rule of a boys' night out?" He says. Peeta rolls his eyes.

"I do remember. 'Never invite a girl.' It's a stupid rule." He says. Finnick scoffs and turns to me.

"You're not coming." He says.

"Love you too, Finnick." I murmur. He laughs.

"Oh come on, you understand, don't you?" He says. I nod.

"Yeah, yeah. I don't want to go, anyway." I say honestly. He smiles and pats my head once.

"Good girl. Now say goodbye to your boyfriend, cause we're leaving." He says, walking over to Annie. I walk back over to Peeta and smile.

"Have a great time, okay? And don't get too drunk. And don't talk to drunk, random strangers. And don't hurt yourself." I say. He laughs.

"Alright, _mom_." He rolls his eyes dramatically. I chuckle and he smiles. "I'm only kidding. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Have fun with the girls!" He says as Gale starts dragging him away. We all yell goodbye. Then the front door closes and they're gone.

"Alright, girl time!" Annie squeals.

**Peeta's POV**

"So where are we going, anyway?" I ask.

"There's this little pub in town. I used to go there with friends sometimes before I moved to four." Gale says.

"Badass." Finnick murmurs teasingly. I laugh and follow Gale around town. After a few minutes we're standing in front of a small building. We walk in and I notice it's much bigger than it looks. And it looks really fancy inside, a bit like a nightclub. It's quite dark, there's loud music playing, and people are sitting on the chairs and sofa's next to the wall. We walk over to three comfy chairs. Gale gets us all a beer. Then he sits down and hands me one.

"Is this gonna be the first time you're drinking alcohol?" He asks. I blush slightly and nod. He smiles and pats my shoulder once. Then Finnick and Gale both stare at me as I raise the glass up to my mouth. I take a sip and my face scrunches up. It didn't taste amazing. To be fair, I had expected it to be much nicer. I swallow it and Finnick raises his eyebrows.

"It's.. okay." I say. Finnick laughs and takes a big gulp of his own glass. I look around and see a group of girls in the middle of the room, dancing. They looked really drunk, and it wasn't even 10 o'clock yet. I shake my head slightly and take another sip of my beer.

"Dude, they're totally checking us out." Finnick murmurs, looking over at a few girls sitting at the bar. Gale turns around as well and looks at them.

"Oh, shit." Gale hisses. He turns around again quickly and slides down in his seat.

"What?" I ask. He looks around once and curses. Then I see someone standing next to us. It was one of the girls.

"Oh, hi Gale! Didn't think I'd see you here." She says with a high voice. Her cheeks are red and she looks like she's already had a drink.. or five.

"Hi Gabriela," Gale murmurs, looking away. Finnick raises an eyebrow at me and I shrug.

"So, wanna dance or something?" She asks, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"No thanks," Gale answers. Gabriela frowns slightly but quickly smiles again.

"Maybe later, then." She says before turning around and walking back to her friends.

"Who was she?" Finnick asks. Gale groans.

"This girl I know. I was drunk once and.. well, we kinda made out. But she thinks I like her or something. Whenever she sees me, she doesn't leave me alone." He says softly, an irritated look on his face.

"Alright, let's get you drunk and wipe that frown off your face," Finnick says. He turns his head and puts up a hand. "Hey, bartender? Three shots please!" He yells, grinning. The bartender nods, and two minutes later the three of us are holding small glasses.

"Cheers!" Gale says before knocking it back. Finnick and I do the same, and I immediately feel a soft, burning sensation in my throat and chest. I didn't know what that drink was, but it was making my head feel a bit fuzzy.

About half an hour later, Gabriela walks over to us again.

"Wanna dance now?" She asks, practically pulling Gale out of his seat. He pulls his arm out of her hands and shakes his head.

"Gabriela, I have a girlfriend." He says seriously, his cheeks slightly flushed.

"Oh. Is it that Katniss girl?" Gabriela asks. Gale and I both glare at her and Finnick bursts out laughing.

"No, it's not _that Katniss girl_. It's Madge." Gale says. Gabriela frowns.

"Undersee?"

"Yeah."

She just blinks a few times and then turns around and walks away without looking back.

"Bye to you too!" Finnick yells. She turns around and glares at him once before stomping away again. We burst out laughing and Gale gets us all another drink. I gulp that down quickly as well. I blink once and notice the room's swaying a little bit.

"Are you okay?" Finnick asks. A giggle escapes my mouth and I nod. He laughs and nudges Gale once before handing Gale and I another glass.

**Katniss' POV**

"But I think she should leave him. He cheated on her twice, she can't trust him anymore." Madge says matter-of-factually. Annie nods. We had been watching one of Annie's favorite tv show for the past twenty minutes. It was a show from the capitol, and it was all about love, drama and friendship. It was actually really unrealistic. But for some strange reason, I liked it.

"Oh my god!" Annie yells when one of the main characters kisses her best friends' boyfriend. Ugh, the drama. Then the screen goes black and the show's over. Annie puts the tv off and then hugs a pillow to her stomach. We were sitting on the floor in a circle, in our pajamas', with face masks on. According to Madge they 'do wonders for your skin'.

"So, time for dirty secrets." Annie says, smirking slightly. "Katniss, how many times have you seen Peeta naked?" She asks. Madge laughs and I roll my eyes.

"You're such a perv, Annie." I say, throwing a pillow at her. She laughs and shrugs slightly.

"I know. Now answer me."

"Um..," I say, "about twenty times, maybe? I'm not sure." Madge and Annie go 'Ooooh!' and smirk at me. I laugh and roll my eyes. Then I turn to Annie again.

"Can you believe Madge bought me underwear?" I say in disbelief. Annie nods.

"Yeah. I helped her choose." She says, grinning. My jaw drops and Madge laughs and gives her a high-five.

"Ugh. You two are evil little brats." I murmur. Madge laughs again.

"Oh, yeah, we're _so_ evil. We bought you underwear. Can you imagine it?" She says sarcastically. We laugh and I slap her arm softly. We talk for another while. Prim was at Rue's again, and my mother was visiting one of her friends that works at the hospital with her. So we were all alone. Suddenly the phone rings. I frown and pick it up.

"Hello?" I say. I hear some background music and people talking, and laughing. "Um, hellooo?" I try again.

"Oh, hey Katnissssss!" Finnick says happily.

"Finnick? Why are you calling?" I say.

"Oh, because.. well, you only live once. Whatcha doin'?" He says.

"Uh, we're-"

"Oh, I have to go, Gale won."

"Gale won what?" I ask. What the hell was Finnick talking about?

"You know. Anywaaay, I'll see you later!" Finnick says. Then he hangs up and I'm left standing there, completely confused. I put the phone down and walk back to Madge and Annie. I tell them what Finnick said and Annie chuckles.

"He's drunk. Peeta and Gale probably are too by now. They've been gone for three hours already." She says. I gasp- the time had gone by so quickly. We talk again, and watch some more television. Then Madge bursts out laughing.

"What?" I ask. She shows me a text message she just got.

_hiiIi maged peta says hello, we will b home alsjihlak2q45soonsalkfjlsdgn s asf2 xqw_

"Well isn't that sweet." I say, laughing. Annie and Madge nod and laugh. Then we grab some cookies and sit on the sofa for a while. Around 1 o'clock someone knocks on the door. I open it and nearly laugh.

"Hiiiii Catnip!" Gale slurs, stumbling past me. Behind him Finnick's staring at his fingers with an interested look on his face. I grab his hand and drag him in. Then I look at Peeta. His cheeks are dark red and he's got a big, goofy grin.

"Hi Peeta, have a good night?" I ask, gently pulling him inside. He nearly trips but then steadies himself.

"Yeah, it was greeeat." He says slowly, stumbling into the living room. I walk behind them and stand next to Madge and Annie.

"Are you drunk?" Madge asks, an amused look on her face.

"I just thought of the _funniest_ joke." Gale says, totally ignoring her. He clears his throat once. "Where's Finnick? _Odair_ he is!" He says loudly. Then him and Peeta burst out laughing. I roll my eyes and Finnick chuckles.

"That's so oooold, Hawthorne." He slurs.

"More like _Hot_thorne, right?" Gale says. We all burst out laughing. Then Annie steps closer to Finnick and takes a sniff.

"Ugh, you stink. I'll get your pajamas, stay here." She says, walking out of the room. Then Madge says she'll get them all a glass of water. I'm alone in the room with the three boys, when they decide to sit down at the table. They start talking and joking like I'm not even in the room.

"Did you get me drunk?" Peeta asks happily, still grinning like a fool. Finnick nods and Gale laughs again. Okay, so Gale was a bit of a happy-drunk. Peeta puts a hand on Finnick's arm.

"You're amazing, Finnick. You're one of my best friends and I love you like a brother." He says. Finnick smiles and thanks him. Then Madge walks into the room and gives them each a glass of water.

"Thanks, Madgywadgypadgymadgy!" Gale says. Madge walks back over to me and laughs. Finnick picks the glass up and then tries to take a sip, but somehow, misses his mouth. The water runs down his shirt and Gale laughs again. Then Finnick tries to take off his shirt. It gets stuck around his head and Peeta leans over the table to get it off. He pulls hard, until the shirt flies off and Peeta flies backwards, toppling his chair backwards and falling on his back.

I gasp and watch as Peeta just frowns for a second and then laughs. Gale and Finnick start laughing as well and I watch in amazement.

"This is so amusing." Madge whispers. I chuckle and nod.

Annie walks back in with Finnick's fresh pajamas. He half walks, half stumbles over to her and then wraps his arms around her waist. Her face scrunches up and she pushes him away gently, handing him his pajamas. He takes his pants off in the middle of the room and we all laugh. He looks over at us with a confused face and then shrugs. He puts his pajamas on and sits down on the sofa.

Peeta walks over to me. "What's you doin'?" He slurs. _Great grammar, Peeta_. I smile and tell him to take his shirt off because there's a stain on it. He just stares at me. Madge walks over to Gale and starts talking to him.

I take Peeta's shirt off for him and he grins at me again, like he has been all night.

"Have I ever told youuu, that your ass is really perfect? It's, like, really nice." He then says. Annie and Gale burst out laughing, as Finnick is passed out on the sofa and Madge is getting something in the bathroom. I blush and grab Peeta's pajamas. He giggles a bit girly and then wraps his arms around my waist. I notice he smells like the heavy liquor they sold at some pubs.

"Peeta, just.. be quiet, and let me get you into bed, okay?" I say. His grip around my waist tightens and he pulls me against him. He buries his face in my hair.

"I love you." He murmurs. I smile and stroke his cheek once. I hear Madge murmuring something like 'even in his drunken state he's a hopeless romantic'.

"I love you too." I say. He grins even bigger and moves left and right slowly, like we're dancing. I grab his hand and pull him over to sit on one of the chairs. His legs go up and down a bit and he looks around the room with a grin. I pull his fresh pajama shirt over his head and then pull his arms through the holes. He doesn't try to help at all. It was like looking after a baby.

"Okay, Peeta, let's go into the bathroom so I can take your pants off, alright?" I say. Gale whistles.

"Sounds like you're gonna have fun, Mellark!" He yells. Peeta giggles again and follows me into the bathroom. I put down the toilet seat and make him sit on it. He stares at me for a while as I pull his pants off and help him put his pajama pants on. Then he suddenly says something again.

"You're really hot."

Peeta's never called me hot before, because he thinks 'beautiful' is nicer. And he thinks it's a little bit rude to tell a girl they look hot. So I'm a bit stunned when he says this. I wonder if he'll remember it all by tomorrow. I decide to just play along.

"Oh, am I?" I say. He nods and grins.

"Verrrry, miss Everdeen."

"Well thank you. You're quite hot as well." I say, smirking a bit. He giggles and runs a hand through his hair.

"I know. Dani said the same."

I freeze and look at him with big eyes. He's still just grinning and staring at me.

"Who- who's Dani?" I stutter.

"This girl who came up to us tonight. First she flirted with Finnick and he was all like 'I have a girlfriend' and then she came up to me and was like 'you're really hot' and I was like 'well thanks but I have a girlfriend too' and then she went up to Gale and before she could say anything he put up a hand and said 'girlfriend' and she just walked away." He says, without stopping. I nod slightly.

"Is that all she said to you?"

"It ssssuuure is."

"Alright then. Can you brush your teeth?" I say. He stares at me blankly for a moment and then picks up a random toothbrush which was probably Annie's or something. Then he picks up the shampoo. I jump up and stop him just in time.

"Yeah, you know what, never mind. You can brush your teeth tomorrow. Let's go." I say, dragging him out of the bathroom. He walks out a bit wobbly and then wraps his arms around Madge.

"You're an amaaazing friend, you know that? I love you, Madge." He says, grinning. Madge laughs and gives him a quick hug.

"Love you too, Peeta, now get into bed." She says, pushing him towards the mattresses. He trips over a pillow and lands on one of the mattresses. I notice Gale was lying down on one of the other mattresses, and Finnick was fast asleep on the last one.

"Hey, Peety?" Gale says. Peeta nods.

"Uhu?"

"You're name begins with a P. You know what else begins with a P?" He says, smirking.

"Shut up." Peeta says, trying to throw a pillow at his head but missing terribly.

"What, I was only going to say pencilllll."

I snort and Madge puts a hand on her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

"Madgywadgy, can you come here? I'm lonely." Gale pouts, his arms open. Madge chuckles and walks over to him. She lies down next to him and whispers some things to him. Then Annie and I lie next to Finnick and Peeta as well. Peeta wraps an arm around my waist and then looks to his right, where Gale is staring at us.

"You're a greeeeat friend, Gale, I love you." He says happily. Gale bursts out laughing and then smiles lazily.

"Thanks Peety. I love.."

There's a silence for a few seconds. Then I turn my head and see Gale's fallen asleep. I laugh softly and smile at Madge before turning around again and laying a hand on Peeta's chest. He was still awake.

"I had fun tonight." He whispers. I smile.

"Good. Me too."

"Me three." He whispers. Then he starts snickering and turning around a bit. "Night night, Katniss Mellark." He mumbles before falling asleep.

**Author's Note: Can I just say: It was fun to write about a drunk Peeta, Gale and Finnick. Might do that more often. Anyway, I can't tell you when my next update will be. I'll try and update before Monday again. But if I don't make it by then (that sounds so _dark_) it could take a while, because life is reaaaally busy right now with school and stuff. But I'll try and update quicker than this time anyway! :)**


	52. Chapter 52

**Author's Note: Hellooo, I don't really have anything to say so here's chapter 52, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 52_

**Katniss' POV**

I hear Annie and Madge talking in the kitchen. I open my eyes and see the boys are still asleep. Peeta looks wasted. I smile and decide to get up. I gently remove his hand from around my waist and then stand up. When I walk into the kitchen the girls turn around and smile.

"Morning Katniss." Madge says happily. I say good morning to them and grab a cup of tea. Then I sit on one of the chairs next to them.

"Is Peeta still asleep?" Annie asks. I smile and nod.

"He must be really tired. Usually he's awake by now." I say.

"I wish I could say the same about Finnick." Annie murmurs.

"Say what about me?"

We all turn around and watch as Finnick walks over to us, holding a hand to his head.

"Finnick.. you're up early." Madge says in disbelief. He shrugs slightly.

"Yeah. Wait, did I wake up earlier than Peeta?" He says. I nod and he laughs. "He was so drunk last night."

"Yeah, so were you and Gale. It was really amusing." Annie says. Madge and I nod. Finnick grins and sits down next to Annie. Before he can say anything again, someone walks in. I look up and see Gale sitting down.

"Morning Gale." I say. He yawns and then nods once.

"Morning everyone." He murmurs, rubbing his eyes.

"Feel alright?" Madge asks, handing him a cup of water. He snorts.

"_Amazing_." He says sarcastically. I stand up and decide to see if Peeta's awake yet. I walk into the living room and see he's still fast asleep. I crouch down and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Peeta. Wake up, Peeta." I whisper. He rolls over and grabs my hand, clutching it to his chest. I chuckle and lean over him, turning him around again gently. "Come on Peeta, it's time to get up."

He shifts a bit. "I don't.. no." He murmurs. I put my hand on his shoulder again and shake softly.

"Peeeeeta. It's time to get up." I say softly. He groans and rolls over quickly, pulling me with him. I land on his chest and gasp. He wraps his free arm around me and exhales loudly. I laugh and roll my eyes. I gently put both hands on his cheeks and shakes his head left and right. "Peeta. Come on. Wake up." I say quite hard. He shifts under me, and his eyes open the tiniest bit for a second. Then he closes them again.

"I know you're awake. Get up." I say. He smirks slightly and rolls over a little bit, shaking his head.

"Peeta, if you get up we can have a heavy make-out session later." I whisper into his ear. He exhales again and then opens his eyes slowly. He grins lazily and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I roll my eyes. "Really? That's all I had to say to get you up?" I say, standing up. He chuckles and stretches.

"Pretty much." He says with a husky voice. He clears his throat and then groans. "I feel so baaad." He murmurs, putting both hands on his face.

"Aaw," I say, helping him up. Then I wrap my arms around him and give him a kiss on the cheek. "You'll be alright. You were really funny last night." I say, smiling. He raises an eyebrow.

"Was I? My brain's a bit fuzzy at the moment." He says as we walk into the kitchen.

"About freakin' time, Mellark." Gale says, grinning. Peeta chuckles and then looks at the table. Annie had made everyone omelets. Peeta puts a hand on his mouth and then runs into the bathroom. Finnick and Gale start laughing loudly and I roll my eyes. A few minutes later Peeta comes back in with a pale face. He sits down next to me and grabs a glass of water.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know my cooking was _that_ bad." Annie says. Peeta chuckles and shakes his head.

"You're cooking's great, Annie. I just.. don't really feel like eating." He grimaces. He finishes his glass of water quickly and then grabs another glass. Whereas Peeta isn't hungry at all and is drinking a load, Gale is doing the opposite. He's only had a sip of his water, but he's already had an omelet, some toast, and two sandwiches.

"So can someone remind me of what happened last night?" Gale then says. Madge, Annie and I grin and tell them what happened from the moment they came home. Peeta's cheeks go a dark red when we tell him about how he was giggling like a girl and telling everyone he loved them.

"The only one you didn't tell you loved was Annie." I say. Annie pouts and Peeta chuckles, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"You know I love you, don't you Annie?" He grins. She chuckles and nods, pushing him away playfully. We eat in silence again until Madge speaks up.

"Finnick, last night you called Katniss and said Gale had won something. What did you mean?" She asks. Finnick frowns and puts down his fork. After a few seconds he remembers and laughs.

"Gale and Peeta were arm-wrestling about who could have the last shot. Gale won." He says. Gale grins and holds up his right arm, poking at his own muscles. Peeta rolls his eyes and I laugh. After a while we finish our breakfasts, and Peeta finishes four glasses of water, and we wash up.

"I'm gonna have a shower, so don't come into the bathroom." He says to us. We nod and he walks away. Before he leaves the room he turns around again and grins cheekily at me. "Well, _you_ can come in if you want, Katniss." My cheeks start burning fiercely and everyone laughs. Peeta turns around again and goes upstairs. Everyone starts getting dressed. I decide to wear my new skinny jeans again and a gray, long-sleeved top. Then I sit in the living room and wait until everyone's ready to do something.

After a few minutes Peeta walks in. He's wearing a tight, black shirt, and he's drying his hair with one of Prim's pink towels. I smile and walk over to him.

"Feel a bit better?" I ask. He looks up at me and nods.

"Much better. So how about that heavy make-out session you were talking about?" He grins cheekily. I chuckle and grab his towel off of him. I slap him with it and someone behind us laughs.

"Whipping your boyfriend, Katniss? Niiice." Finnick says, walking past us and then sprawling out on the sofa. I roll my eyes.

"Oh yeah, Finnick. I always whip Peeta. _Every. Night._" I say sarcastically. Finnick doesn't say anything. He's just staring at Peeta with an amused expression on his face. I look up at Peeta and see he's looking down with red cheeks and a small grin on his face. "Oh, don't even _think_ about it, Mellark." I say, handing him his towel back. Finnick laughs and I walk out of the room, into the kitchen. A few seconds later Peeta walks in as well. He closes the kitchen door and then wraps his arms loosely around my waist.

"What did you do last night?" He asks, straightening my hair with one of his hands. I shrug.

"Most of the time we just... talked, really." I say. He grins.

"About Gale, Finnick and me?"

"Maybe."

"I bet you were telling them about how great my kissing skills are."

"You wish."

He chuckles and pulls me against him. Then he gives me a soft kiss. "Next time we go drinking you have to come with us." He says.

"There's going to be a next time?"

"There sure is."

"And you want me to go with you?"

"And Annie and Madge, of course."

"Then who's going to look after you when you get too drunk to even put your own pajamas on?" I smirk. He rolls his eyes.

"As long as we get home, we can just pass out on the mattresses. Or sofa. Or floor. It doesn't even matter. You should just come." He smiles. I chuckle and run my hands through his damp hair.

"We'll see." I say softly before kissing him again. He picks me up and sits me on the table. Then he pulls me as close as possible. His arms are wrapped around me, his hands nearly touching his own chest because we're so close. One of my hands tangles in his curls as the other runs down his chest.

"Do you two ever do anything else than make out?" Madge says when she walks in on us a few minutes later. Peeta pulls back slowly and glares at Madge. Gale walks in behind her and snorts.

"Yeah. They check out each other's asses." He says. Peeta's cheeks go a dark pink and Gale laughs. "Don't even try denying it, I always see you two doing it. Especially _you_." He points at Peeta before walking out again, pulling Madge with him. Peeta rolls his eyes slightly and wraps his left arm around my waist.

"You know you said.. something last night." I say after a few minutes, looking down.

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"What did I say?" He asks. I swallow and bite my bottom lip.

"Before you went to sleep... you-"

"Wait, am I going to regret saying whatever I said? Because then I'd rather not hear it." He grins. I chuckle and shrug.

"You, uh, you called me Katniss _Mellark_." I whisper. His right hand, which had been drawing little circles on my side, freezes. I look up and see him looking at me with wide eyes.

"Did I?"

"Yeah."

There's a silence for a few moments.

"I'm really sorry, I was drunk, and I-" I chuckle and put a finger on his mouth.

"There's no need to be sorry. I just thought you'd like to know." I say. He smiles and wraps his other arm around my waist as well. "You do know that it's usually the girl that dreams about having the boy's last name, and not the other way round, right?" I smirk. He chuckles and pulls me in for a hug. I frown in confusion for a second but then just hug him back.

"I love you." He whispers.

"I know, you told me, and Gale, Finnick and Madge last night." I remind him, smirking again. He smiles and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. "By the way, you also called me hot last night."

He starts laughing and gives me a quick kiss. "Well I was just saying what's been on my mind since the day I met you." He teases, poking my belly. I giggle and drag him into the living room, where the others are sitting on the sofa, talking.

"I think we should just go to town." Annie says. Finnick and Gale's eyes go wide.

"No way, not again. I don't think I can handle that." Gale says. We all laugh and Annie rolls her eyes.

"Well then how abooout... the woods?" Finnick suggests.

"Naaah, there's nothing to do there." Madge says. The others nod in agreement. Then I look out of the window and groan. They all follow my gaze and sigh.

"Who put the shower on?" Finnick mumbles as he looks at the heavy rain on the window.

"Looks like we'll have to stay in today." Annie pouts.

"You're all so _depressingly_ sad about this. We can have fun inside, too." Peeta says. I laugh as the other roll their eyes.

**Prim's POV**

"I. Am. _Soaked_. Why did you convince me to walk you home?" Rue moans as I knock on the front door quickly.

"I didn't _convince_ you, you offered." I say. She shrugs slightly.

"Still your fault, anyway." She says. I laugh and the door opens. Peeta's standing there, laughing at us. I glare at him and then wrap my arms around him.

"Peetaaaa!" I say happily. He groans and tries to push me away.

"You're making me all wet. I just got dried, you little brat." He says playfully. I laugh and squeeze him again before letting go. His shirt now has some gigantic wet patches. I smile and he ruffles my hair. He says hello to Rue as well and we walk into the living room. Everyone was just scattered around the room, doing different things to entertain themselves. Katniss turns around and gasps when she sees us.

"Prim, you're going to get sick!" She says as she hurries over to me.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." I wave it off. She sighs and gives both of us a towel. We thank her and sit on some chairs. Finnick walks over to us and smirks.

"You have a little wet spot." He jokes. I chuckle and roll my eyes. Rue's just staring up at him. I smirk at her and she narrows her eyes at me.

"Like what you see?" I whisper once Finnick has turned around to say something to Peeta. She kicks me under the table and I yelp. Finnick turns around again and raises an eyebrow.

"You okay?"

"No, Rue just hit me because I-"

Another kick. I close my mouth and glare at her. She just smiles sweetly at Finnick.

"It was an accident." She says. Finnick nods slowly.

"Oh. Alright." He then says. He smiles at us once and then turns around and sits on the sofa again.

"What was that about?" Rue and I both hiss at the same time.

"You kicked me!" I whisper accusingly.

"Only because you were just about to tell Finnick I liked what I saw!"

"Oh, so you admit you liked what you saw?" I smirk. Rue opens her mouth again but trails of when she sees Peeta, who is suddenly standing behind us. He's staring at both of us with his arms crossed and one of his eyebrows slightly raised.

"Peeta, what did you just hear?" Rue asks quickly. He shrugs slightly.

"Oh, just that you kicked her." He says. Rue sighs in relief. "And that you think Finnick is..." he struggles for a word, "handsome?" Rue's eyes widen and she gulps. Then she grabs his hand and pulls him out of the room. I follow them and watch with an amused expression.

"I do not think he is _handsome_!" She hisses once the door closes. Peeta chuckles and leans against the wall.

"You don't?"

"No! I'll admit his eye are pretty, but.. just- no, just shut up, Peeta." She says. Peeta laughs again and shakes his head slightly.

"You're quite aggressive and intimidating for a 13-year-old little girl." He remarks. She rolls her eyes and pokes his chest once.

"Say one word to Finnick and you'll _see_ intimidating." She threatens. His smile turns into a smirk.

"Are you threatening me?" His eyes are bright with amusement. Rue nods and he shakes his head slightly. "Alright, miss bossy. I won't say a word to Finnick." He winks before walking back into the living room.

**Katniss' POV**

Peeta walks back in, looking very amused. Prim and Rue follow him and I can't help but notice Prim has exactly the same look as Peeta. He sits down next to me.

"What was that about?" I ask. He looks at Rue and she narrows her eyebrows slightly. He grins and shakes his head.

"Nothing. Just a good ol' chat with Rue and Prim." He says. Prim laughs and Rue smiles. I look around and see Finnick is looking through some magazines, Annie is reading a book, Gale is trying to pet Buttercup, and Madge is braiding her hair.

"According to this magazine I do put friends before boys. And blue eyeshadow would go best with my eyes." Finnick grins. We all laugh.

"What magazine are you reading?" Madge asks.

"Panem's Style." He says.

"Why are you reading a girl-magazine?" Gale raises one eyebrow. Finnick shrugs slightly.

"I'm modeling for a magazine read mostly by girls. So I have to know what they like." He says. I suppose that kinda made sense. We all nod slightly and he grins. "Plus, I'm finding out amazing things about myself. For instance, if my 'BFF's' are sad, I always comfort them in a way no one else could. And I'm funny and confident about my body."

Peeta snorts. "That last bit's right." He says. We all laugh and agree. Finnick just grins.

"According to the magazine it's a good thing to be confident about your body."

"According to the magazine blue eyeshadow would look great on you." Gale reasons. We all burst out laughing and Finnick chuckles.

"Alright, alright." He puts the magazine down. Then he tilts his head as he looks at me. "Katniss, how come I've never seen your bedroom?" I shrug and he stands up. "Can you show me?" He grins. I stand up as well.

"Sure. Anyone else want to see the magnificent place that is my bedroom?" I say. They chuckle and Peeta, Annie, Gale and Madge stand up. "Peeta, Madge, Gale, you've seen my bedroom before." I say as I start walking up the stairs.

"Yeah, so?" Gale says. I roll my eyes and open the door. We all walk in and Finnick closes the door behind us. We were pretty crowded, as my room was quite small and there was six of us in here.

"Well, this is my room." I say, holding up my hands. Peeta sits on my bed and Finnick and Annie look around.

"You have a lovely room." Annie smiles. I thank her and sit next to Peeta on my bed. Finnick picks up things and looks at them. Then he starts opening some drawers.

"Finnick, what are you doing?" Peeta asks, voicing my thoughts exactly.

"If you really want to trust someone you have to know everything about them. Including what's in their drawers." He says.

"Did you read that in one of those magazines?" Madge asks. He grins and shrugs.

"Maybe."

We all laugh and I watch as Finnick looks in my closet, opens little boxes, looks at my book collection, plays with childhood toys, and opens more drawers. Then he reaches my underwear drawer and raises an eyebrow at me.

"Finnick, could you stop looking in my underwear drawer?" I ask. He closes it again and just stands their, arms crossed, grinning at me. "What?"

He shakes his head slightly and then looks down.

"Oh, better tie my shoe _laces_." He says, saying the words 'laces' a bit louder than the rest. Laces. Lace. Lacy. My eyes widen and I glare at him. He smirks and I notice Annie and Madge trying to hold back their laughter. Peeta and Gale look entirely lost.

"What's going on?" Gale asks.

"Nothing. Finnick's just being weird." I say. Which was true. I mean, who looks in their friend's drawers?

Gale picks up one of notebooks and flips through the pages. Then a little piece of paper falls out and he picks it up and reads it. A smirk finds it's way onto his face and he raises an eyebrow at me and Peeta.

"Do I even want to know what a 'little blue box' is?" He says. I feel my cheeks burn and sink into the bed a bit. Peeta jumps up and snatches the piece of paper out of his hands. Gale bursts out laughing and Peeta sits down next to me again.

"Why do you keep all of these conversations we have during class?" He whispers, folding it up. I shrug.

"They just end up in my notebook because I always forget to throw them away after class." I whisper back. He rolls his eyes. Gale is just smirking at both of us.

"What's a little blue box?" Annie asks innocently, having heard the conversation. Everyone looks at her and Peeta's cheeks turn as red as mine.

"Annie, I think-" He begins, but I throw my pillow at his head to shut him up. He laughs and throws my pillow back at me. Luckily Peeta changes the subject quickly.

"How about we go downstairs and play a board game?" He says. We all nod and go back downstairs. Peeta grabs a board game and puts it on the floor. We sit in a circle around it. "Okay, so this game is called The Hunger Games. Is everyone familiar with how it works?" He asks. Finnick and I nod, and Gale, Madge and Annie shake their heads. Peeta explains.

"Okay, so you have to roll the dice, and then move that amount of squares on the board. You either land on a smiley face or a sad face. If you land on a smiley face, you have to pick up one of these cards." He says, holding up a green card. "Then you have to do what it says on the card. For example, this one says: 'You have found a backpack with a knife. You are able to injure one opponent of choice, and they must skip their next turn.'" He says. We all nod and he picks up a red card with a sad face.

"On this it says: 'You got attacked by mutts. You retreat back into the woods. Move back three squares.' The first one to the end wins, and will be named 'The Victor'. Does everyone understand?" He asks. We all nod and he grins. "Alright then. May the odds be ever in your favor!" He says, rolling the dice. We all watch as he moves two squares and lands on a green square. He reads it and smiles.

"'You find water and have enough energy to move forward two squares.' Yay." He says, moving forward two squares again. Finnick grabs the dice. He moves forward three squares and lands on a sad face. He bites on his bottom lip and grabs a card.

"'You get too tired and pass out. Skip your next turn.' Well I don't like this game." He grunts, putting his card down again. We all laugh and Madge rolls the dice. She moves three squares and lands on a sad face as well.

"'Unlike the other tributes, you're not very stealthy. You trip over a branch and the tribute to your right finds you. He/she steals your food and gets an extra turn.' Ugh. You're welcome, Annie." She says. Annie laughs and rolls the dice. She moves three spaces and then rolls the dice again. She moves another two spaces and picks up a green card.

"'You overhear two people planning to kill you in your sleep. You run away quickly and save yourself from dying.' Oh. Okay." She says. Gale rolls the dice and moves three spaces. He lands on a sad face and picks up a red card.

"'The person you were planning to kill and steal their food from has disappeared. Now you have no food and get grumpy. You're ally and you get into a fight and you get injured. Skip your next turn.' Annie! I was trying to kill you, what did you run away for?" He laughs, giving me the dice. I roll the dice and move four spaces. I land on a smiley face and pick up a green card.

"'One of the tributes falls in love with you and shares his/her food with you. With a filled stomach you can walk further. Move forward one square.' Okay guys, who fell in love with me?" I say, looking around. They all laugh and Peeta raises a hand.

"Sorry." He grins. I chuckle and pass him the dice again.

After two hours we're all totally into the game. We were all so close to winning. In five minutes the game would be over, and one of us would be the victor.

It's Finnick's turn. He moves two squares and picks up a green card.

"'You find a trident and injure one of the tributes. The person sitting next to you must skip their next turn.'" He looks up and smirks at Madge. She groans.

"Thanks Finnick." She murmurs. Finnick laughs and hands Madge the dice, who hands them over to Annie. Annie rolls the dice and it lands on a two. We all sigh in relief. If she had rolled a three, she would have won the game. She picks up a red card and frowns.

"'The arena floods and you have to swim for hours. After a while the water disappears again and you pass out from hunger. Skip your next move.' Dammit." She says, handing Gale the dice. He moves three spaces forward and picks up a green card.

"'The star-crossed lovers have decided to take you as an ally. The three of you are allowed to move forward one square.' The star-crossed lovers, that was you two, wasn't it?" Gale asks, pointing at Peeta and I. We both nod. A few turns ago Peeta got a green card, saying he fell in love with a tribute, and that they became the 'star-crossed lovers'. The three of us move forward one space and I roll the dice. I had to move four space if I wanted to win. We all watch in total silence as my dice spins around for a moment. It finally lands on a three and I groan. I move forward three spaces and pick up a red card.

"'People see you as a threat. They chase you up a tree and you wait there until they leave. Skip two turns.' No way! This isn't fair!" I yell. Everyone laughs and I give the dice to Peeta. He only had to move three squares to win. He rolls the dice and it lands on one. We all sigh in relief again and he lands on a smiley face. We all freeze again. He picks up a green card with a hopeful expression and reads it in silence.

"What does it say?" Finnick urges, fear in his eyes. If I didn't feel the same way I'd laugh. Peeta looks up from the card and grins at us.

"'You camouflage yourself with some dirt. You're able to crawl around without anyone noticing. Move forward two squares.'"

"But that means.." Gale whispers. Peeta nods happily and moves forward two squares. Then he jumps up and starts dancing.

"I won, I won, uhu, I won!" He sings. Gale groans and Finnick just glares at him. Madge frowns and Annie throws her green card onto the ground.

"This really isn't fair." Finnick says. We all nod and Peeta rolls his eyes.

"You just can't accept the fact that you lost. Now where's that cool little plastic crown you get?" He says as he looks in the box. He pulls out a yellow little crown and places it on his head.

"Hold up, I was your ally, does this mean I won as well?" Gale asks. Peeta grabs the rule book.

"It says that if one of the star-crossed lovers wins, they both win. But ally's don't." He says. Then he grins down at me. "Katniss, we won!" He yells, dragging me up and dancing with me. I laugh and Gale groans.

"That's not fair. I hate this game." He says. We all laugh.

"Build a bridge and get over it, Hawthorne." Peeta smirks. Gale rolls his eyes and we all put the board game and the cards back into the box.

"Peeta, give me the crown so I can put the game away." I say. He thinks for a moment and then shakes his head.

"I think I'll keep it on."

"Peeta?"

"Yes?"

"You're being silly."

"You're just jealous that you didn't get a crown." He smirks again. I roll my eyes.

"I am not. Although it isn't fair that we both win and only you get a crown." I say. He thinks again for a moment and takes the crown off his head. He examines it and then just snaps it in half. I gasp and he grins, placing one half on my head and the other half on his own.

"There." He says. I laugh and give him a quick kiss. Finnick shakes his head slightly.

"You two are so immature." He says. Peeta scoffs.

"Have you ever looked at yourself?"

"It's all he does, Peeta. You should know that by now." Gale jokes. We all laugh and Finnick rolls his eyes. Then my mother walks in.

"Hi kids." She says, putting her bag down and taking her coat off.

"Hi, have a good time?" I ask. She smiles and nods.

"She works at different times than me, so I hadn't seen her for a while. It was good to catch up again." She says. She was talking about the friend she visited. I smile and her gaze travels to the crowns on Peeta's and my head.

"We're officially the king and queen of Panem." Peeta jokes, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I laugh and roll my eyes.

"We were playing this board game and we won." I explain. My mother nods slightly and then tells us she'll make dinner.

"Oh, shall I help?" Finnick offers, walking into the kitchen with her.

"Well, if you want." My mother smiles. They walk in together and Peeta sighs.

"What's wrong?" I ask. He shakes his head and smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"Nothing."

I narrow my eyes slightly and cross my arms.

"Peeta, tell me what's wrong." I say.

"It's nothing, really Katniss." He says softly.

"Stop lying to me!" I whisper. I was getting annoyed. I turn my head and see Madge, Gale and Annie are looking at us with worried expressions. I smile at them and then grab Peeta's hand. "Peeta, let's have a talk upstairs, shall we?" I say. He nods with a defeated expression on his face. I drag him into my bedroom and then close the door.

"Spill it, Peeta."

"Stop being so worried, it's silly. Just forget it." He says, leaning against a wall. I walk over to him and take his face in my hands.

"Listen to me. You are going to tell me what's wrong, or else." I whisper. He smirks slightly.

"That's the second time I got threatened today." He says, shaking his head slightly.

"What? Who threatened you?!" I say. He laughs.

"Long story, but it's nothing to worry about. It's irrelevant to what you want to know anyway." He says. I sigh and cross my arms as well.

"Fine. Tell me what's wrong then."

He swallows hard and rolls his eyes.

"I just think your mom likes Finnick more than she likes me." He whispers.

"You've got to be kidding me." I say in disbelief. This was why he looked so sad downstairs? He shakes his head slightly and looks down. I take a step and put both hands on his cheeks again. "You're crazy, you know that?" I whisper. He rolls his eyes.

"I'm right though."

"No, you're not. She does like Finnick, but she likes you more. I'm sure of it." I say. He looks up at me through his eyelashes.

"And how would you know?" He says softly.

"I just do. I know my mother. And I know that she probably loves you. You're dating me, and you're the son of her childhood crush. Finnick's just a friendly boy, but you, Peeta... you're you, and she likes you waaay more than Finnick." I smile. A small smile plays on his lips as he looks down again.

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

After a few seconds he looks up at me again. He smiles and puts his hands on my waist.

"You're amazing." He says.

"I know." I grin. He chuckles and leans in slowly. I rest my hands on his arms and push him backwards a little bit, until his back is touching the wall again. I lean into him and stand on my tiptoes.

"We should go back downstairs, they'll all be worried." He mumbles after a few minutes as his nose skims my cheekbone. I sigh and agree. We walk to the door and I open it. Suddenly Annie, Madge and Gale fall inside. I narrow my eyes at them as they stand up again quickly.

"What are you doing?" I ask. They all look at each other and say something entirely different at exactly the same time.

"Looking for my contacts," Gale says.

"I dropped an earring," Madge says.

"I wanted to ask if I could lend some pants," Annie says.

Peeta and I look at each other and then glare at them.

"Gale, you don't have contact lenses, Madge, you're wearing both of your earrings, and Annie, why would you want to lend some pants?" Peeta says. They all look at each other again and then look down.

"Were you listening to our conversation?" I ask.

"Yes, but only because we were worried!" Annie says. I roll my eyes.

"I've never seen you two fight before. So I just kinda wanted to hear this." Gale shrugs slightly.

"Have you ever heard of this little thing called privacy? If two people close a door, they usually want it." Peeta says, looking at each of them. They all nod slightly and look down.

"Sorry." They then say in unison.

"It's fine. Let's go downstairs for dinner." I say. We all walk downstairs and Gale smirks at me.

"What were you two doing the last ten minutes? We didn't hear anything." He says softly as we sit down. I glare at him and he chuckles, shaking his head slightly. Finnick and my mother walk back in, laughing and carrying seven plates. Annie shoots Peeta a worried expression and I realize they heard the whole conversation. Peeta apparently realizes too because his cheeks turn pink and he slides down into his seat a bit. They put down the plates and we all dig in.

During dinner we talk about our day, and mostly listen to Prim. She tells us stories about Marcus, and Liam's little sisters.

"Mom, I want a little brother or sister." She then says. My mother chokes on her food and Gale slaps on her back gently. She swallows hard and then stares at Prim with wide eyes. Prim laughs.

"Don't worry, I know it wont happen." She reassures her. My mother sighs and nods slightly. She picks up her fork again. The rest of dinner goes by in a comfortable silence. Then we all wash up and watch some tv for an hour. After that we just talk about school, and family, and other random things. The time goes by in a flash, and before I know it we're all in our pajamas', just about to go to bed.

I take the crown off and remind Peeta he still has his on as well. He chuckles and takes it off as well. Then we all lie down and turn the lights off.

"Goodnight everyone." Annie says. We all say goodnight to each other, and five minutes later I can already hear people snoring. I lay my head on Peeta's chest, just above his heart. I can hear his heartbeat, and it immediately relaxes me. The last thing I remember before falling asleep, is Peeta softly stroking my hair.

**Author's Note: Alright, you have permission to yell at me for updating this late again. It's not my fault though. I have school till 5 every day, then an hour of homework, dinner, another two hours of homework, watch tv for half an hour, then start getting ready for bed. Someone asked what grade I'm in, but the grades in America are different to the grades over here. We don't have high school and that stuff. I'm in fourth grade of secondary school. Anyway, I'll try and update as soon as possible! :) x**


	53. Chapter 53

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry. Here's chapter 53, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 53_

**Katniss' POV**

I feel someone's hot breath against my ear. I shiver and open my eyes. Peeta's spooning me, his head right next to mine. I smile and see everyone's still fast asleep. I blow on Peeta's face softly and his nose twitches. I snicker and push into him. His eyes shoot open and his cheeks go red.

"Good morning." I grin. He looks down for a moment and then gives me a small smile.

"And a _very_ good morning to you too." He whispers, squeezing my waist. I blush and turn around so I can face him. He smiles down at me and gives me a kiss on my forehead. "So, any reason as to why you just pushed your beautiful behind into my front?" He smirks. I chuckle and push the curls out of his eyes.

"I was just trying to wake you up."

"Nah, she wants the dick, cookie boy." Finnick says from behind us. I turn my head and glare at him, as Peeta starts laughing.

"Morning, _Finnick_." I say. He grins and stands up, walking over to where Peeta and I are entwined.

"Morning, kiddos." He says. I roll my eyes and Peeta releases my waist from his grip. He gets up and then helps me up as well. The three of us walk into the kitchen and Finnick offers to make us some tea.

"Peeta doesn't want any sugar though." I say.

"And Katniss wants one sugar cube." Peeta smiles sweetly and squeezes my hand.

"Whoa. I don't understand how you survive without sugar in your tea, Peeta." Finnick says, putting down three cups of tea. He puts one sugar cube in one and gives it to me. Then he gives one without sugar to Peeta. He takes the last one and grabs a handful of sugar cubes.

"Got enough sugar there, Finnick?" Peeta murmurs as we watch how Finnick puts his third, fourth, fifth sugar cube into his tea. He grins and nods.

"Yep." He says before popping a sugar cube into his mouth.

"Morning guys." Gale says as he walks in. The three of us say good morning, and a few minutes later Annie and Madge walk in as well. We all start making breakfast when Prim walks in as well.

"Good morning Prim." Peeta smiles, ruffling her hair before she sits down. She sticks out her tongue and then smiles.

"Sleep well?" I ask.

"I did, Katniss, thank you. How nice of you to ask." Gale jokes. We all laugh and Prim says she did too. We have our breakfast and then wash up together. I walk upstairs and have a quick shower before putting some clothes on. As I braid my hair, someone knocks on the door.

"Katniss? Are you decent?" Madge asks. I say I am and she walks in.

"What do you want?" I ask. She laughs and puts her hand on her heart.

"That's so rude, Katniss!" She says with a high, capitol accent. We both laugh and she walks over to my closet. "I'm lending another pair of socks." She says, opening my drawer and looking for a white pair.

"Again? I would have thought that with your father being the mayor and all, you'd have enough money for a pair of socks." I smirk.

"Ha ha, very funny, Katniss." She mumbles as she closes the drawer again. "For your information, I _have_ socks, but I can't find them in my bag. I must have forgotten them at home." She shrugs slightly.

"Fine. I want them back though." I pick some clothes off the floor and put them away. Madge rolls her eyes.

"Yeah yeah. Anyway, why haven't you worn your new bra yet?" She asks. She sits on my bed and starts pulling my socks on. I roll my eyes.

"I just don't see _why_. It doesn't even look comfy."

"Listen. I know about your 'sleepovers' with Peeta you have once or twice a week every time we have a week off of school." She smirks slightly, and I feel my cheeks burn. "So why not wear something nice for a change?"

I throw my wet towel at her and she laughs. "Not that what you usually wear isn't nice, but don't you think Peeta would like to rip a lacy bra off of your body instead-"

"Madge!"

I feel my jaw drop and pretend I'm looking for something in one of my drawers so she won't see my red face. Just as I think of something to say, I hear someone walk up the stairs.

"Katniss? Can I come in?" Peeta asks, opening the door slightly. I sigh in relief and say yes. He walks in and raises his eyebrows when he sees Madge's evil grin and my red face. "What's going on?" He asks.

"Nothing." I say quickly. He looks at Madge and she just grins at him. He looks back at me and I shrug slightly, willing my cheeks to be their normal color again. He walks over to me and puts a hand on my cheek.

"Are you feeling alright? Your cheeks are burning." He says softly with a concerned voice. I see Madge break into a fit of silent giggles behind him and roll my eyes.

"I'm fine." I smile, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Why did you come up here anyway?"

"Well Gale, Annie, Finnick and I have been waiting downstairs for ages. They sent me upstairs to come and get both of you." He says. Madge and I walk downstairs with him. Gale looks up from the tv.

"What took you so long? Even Finnick doesn't need that much time to get ready." Gale elbows Finnick and he rolls his eyes, pushing his arm away playfully. Madge and I sit down on the ground in front of the sofa and sit against the others' legs.

"Wanna sit on my lap?" Peeta asks. I raise an eyebrow and his cheeks go a light shade of pink. "I thought it might be comfier." He says. I chuckle and say I'm fine on the ground. He smiles and we turn back to the tv again.

"What movie are we watching?" Madge asks. Gale tells us it's a movie about a man and his best friend, a talking teddy bear. After another hour and a half it's over, and Annie groans.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Finnick asks. She puts her hands on her stomach.

"I have this weird craving for some cake." She says.

"Is this your way of telling us your pregnant?" Madge jokes, laying a hand on Annie's belly. She starts laughing nervously and pushes Madge's hand away.

We all freeze and look at her with wide eyes. She swallows hard and then looks up at Finnick.

"There's something I have to tell you, Finnick." She says softly. I literally see his face go white. "I- I think I might be pregnant." She whispers. Her eyes fill with water and Finnick just stares at the wall behind her, looking like he just saw a ghost. Annie looks up at us for a moment, one single tear rolling down her left cheek, before bursting out laughing.

"Annie? What.." Madge begins, but trails off when Annie doubles over and can't stop laughing. "What's so funny?"

Annie looks up and grins at us for a second before all emotion leaves her face and she drops a hand in front of her face.

"End of scene." She says with a dramatic voice.

We all just stare at her with wide eyes.

"Fuck, Annie! I was thinking of baby names already!" Gale yells, his face slightly paler than usual. We all start laughing. That was unbelievable.

"Annie, become an actress. Please. You're brilliant." Peeta says genuinely. She smiles and thanks him.

"Finnick? Are you alright?" Madge asks. I look at Finnick and see he's still staring at the wall with wide eyes. "Fiiinnick. Look at me." She waves a hand in front of his face, but nothing happens.

"I think he's in shock." Peeta mumbles.

"No shit. He's probably wondering how he's going to raise a freakin' child." Gale says. Annie chuckles and takes Finnick's face in her hands.

"Finnick, baby. I was only kidding. I'm not pregnant. You're not a father." She says, staring into his eyes. He blinks once and then leans back.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm not pregnant." She grins sheepishly. "That was for all of those times you pranked me."

Finnick's mouth opens and closes a few times, but no words come out. After a minute he finally succeeds in forming a sentence.

"Oh my fucking god. Cresta, you- you- I-" He takes a deep breath and then puts his hands on his face. "Oh my god. Oh my god. I thought.. oh my god."

We all laugh again until he takes his hands off of his face. "I think I just literally peed my pants, Annie. Don't ever make jokes like that again." He says. Then he looks at us. "I don't know what you lot are laughing about, I'm serious."

"You literally peed on my couch?" I ask. His face scrunches up slightly.

"Of course not Katniss, yuck." He says. I roll my eyes and Annie gives Finnick a quick kiss. Then she stands up.

"I might not be pregnant, but I still want some cake." She says. Peeta chuckles and stands up as well.

"I can make us one. We'll have to go to my house though, Katniss doesn't have the right ingredients." He says.

"Oh, blame it on _me_ again." I tease. He laughs and wraps an arm around my waist as we walk into the hallway. We all put our shoes on and I tell Prim we'll be at Peeta's. Then we walk outside and Finnick wraps his arms around himself.

"I'm gonna freeze to death." He says.

"Shut up, pretty boy." I say as Peeta opens his door. We walk inside and Gale chuckles.

"You changed it so much." He says. Peeta frowns.

"What do you mean?"

"My house. Your house. I used to live here, remember?" He says.

"Oh. Did we change it in a good way, or a bad way?" Peeta asks. Gale chuckles.

"Definitely a good way. My mother never was very... artistic. I got my painting skills from her." He says.

"More like _throw-some-paint-onto-a-piece-of-paper-and-write-your-name-underneath-it _skills." Madge teases. He laughs and shrugs slightly.

"I suppose you could call it that, too." He grins. We walk into the living room and Rye looks up. His eyebrows raise for a moment and then he grins. He walks over to us, or more specifically, Annie.

"Well hi there, good lookin'." He grins, taking Annie's hand. He presses his lips against it gently before smiling at her again.

"Oh my god, Rye, please.." Peeta murmurs, putting a hand over his eyes. Finnick clears his throat and taps on Rye's shoulder.

"Your name's Rye? Hi, I'm Finnick. Annie's _boyfriend_." He says. Rye's grin fades as he looks Finnick up and down once. Finnick was a bit taller and much larger than Rye.

"Oh. Nice to meet you, Finnick." Rye says. He releases Annie's hand and turns around to Peeta as if nothing just happened. "What are you doing here?" He asks.

"Oh, I can just _feel_ the love." Peeta says sarcastically. Rye laughs and punches his arm softly.

"You know you're my favorite brother." He bats his eyelashes, the way a girl would. Peeta laughs and pushes him away.

"Yeah yeah. I bet you've said the same to Leo about a hundred times."

"Nah, only ninety-nine times." He jokes. We all laugh and Rye picks up his empty soda can and an empty pizza box.

"Where is Leo?" Peeta asks.

"He went back to Isabel's district with her. They probably have some love-makin' to catch up on." He rolls his eyes. We laugh and Rye starts walking out of the room.

'Nice meeting you, Annie, Finnick, and..."

"It's Gale." Gale smiles.

"Ah. Nice meeting you, Gale." He nods once at us and then walks out.

"Well. That was my dear brother, Rye." Peeta says. We all laugh.

"Does everybody in your family have a bread-associated name?" Finnick smirks. Peeta glares at him.

"_No_, now shut up if you want me to make that girlfriend of yours a cake." Finnick chuckles and puts his hands up. "Right, now I'm going to need one person to help me. Any volunteers?" He looks at all of us, and Madge pushes me forward.

"Katniss volunteers."

"I, uh.. I suppose I volunteer then." I chuckle. Peeta laughs.

"Alright then. You guys can watch some tv, or play video games, or just.. do whatever you want really. This shouldn't take too long." He says.

"'This shouldn't take too long.' Bet you say that more often, Mellark." Gale says with a hint of mischief in his voice. Peeta's cheeks go red and he whacks the back of Gale's head as he walks past him. Everybody bursts out laughing and I follow Peeta into the kitchen. I close the door and then lean against the counter.

"So, what do I do, boss?" I smile. He chuckles and starts putting out ingredients and bowls.

"Wash your hands first. Then we'll start mixing." He says. I wash my hands and then dry them off a towel. Then Peeta explains what we have to put in a bowl and mix.

"...And if you just put this much chocolate in it and then stir for two minutes, I'll start heating up the oven." He says after a while. I nod and stir for a while. Peeta puts the oven on and fiddles with some buttons for a minutes before walking back over to me. He nods approvingly.

"You're not too bad at this. Ever thought about working in a bakery when you're older?" He teases.

"I think I'll leave the baking to you." I say after I accidentally nearly drop the bowl out of my arms. He laughs and takes the bowl from me. He holds in it his left arm and then stirs with his right like a real professional. I watch as the muscles in his arms strain against his blue shirt. After a few minutes he pours the mix into a round cake mold. He makes sure the top is straight and then opens the oven door. A wave of heat enters the room and Peeta backs away for a moment before putting the cake mold into the oven. He closes it again and then turns around to me.

"And now we wait." He says. He walks over to me and tugs at my braid softly. I smile and lean up to give him a kiss on his cheek, but he turns his head quickly so our lips touch. His arms snake their way under my jumper and around my waist, pulling me flush against him. I put my hands on his shoulders and stand on my tiptoes. He pushes me against the counter and places hot, open kisses on my jaw and neck.

"They're leaving tomorrow, aren't they?" He whispers in a deep voice. I assume he means Finnick, Annie and Gale and nod. He flashes me a mischievous grin before picking me up and placing me on the counter. "Would you like to stay at my house tomorrow night?" He says, his lips against my neck.

"What are you planning to do?" I say softly, trying to regain my breath.

"Oh, I don't know. Watch a movie, talk for a while, snuggle. Things like that." He says before grinning at me again.

"Uhu. Nothing else?" I raise an eyebrow at him and he shrugs.

"Unless you have something in mind." He wiggles his eyebrows and I laugh.

**Madge's POV**

I open the kitchen door and find a scene I've seen a hundred times before; Katniss and Peeta making out passionately. I cough loudly and they break apart.

"We were wondering if the cake was done yet." I smirk. Peeta's cheeks go a dark red and he lowers Katniss' jumper where he had his hands under her shirt.

"It's, uh, it will be ready soon." He says. I smile and walk out again. I sit next to Gale and they all look at me.

"It will be ready soon." I repeat Peeta's words. Annie grins and Finnick takes a deep sniff, inhaling the chocolate cake-smell wafting in from the kitchen.

"Is it in the oven already?" Gale asks. I nod and he frowns slightly. "Then why are they still in the kitchen?"

I give him a pointed look, and after a few seconds he chuckles and rolls his eyes. "Of course." He says.

"Hey, leave them alone. Don't pretend you've never used the kitchen as a place to make out." Finnick says.

"Maybe once or twice.." Gale murmurs softly.

"Exactly. We've made out in the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom, the living room, at school, the park, the sea, and even on the hood of your car." Finnick grins.

"What? My car?"

"Oh yeah. And we weren't even wearing clothes." Finnick wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and Gale claps his hand over his eyes. We all know Finnick's joking.

"Well thanks for that mental image I'll see every time I'm in my car." Gale says.

"Oh, you're welcome." Finnick says.

About half an hour later, Peeta and Katniss walk in with a big chocolate cake. Annie jumps off the sofa and wraps her petite arms around both of them.

"Thank you _so_ much. I'm starving." She says. She reaches out to touch the cake, but Peeta slaps her hand away.

"It's still too warm." He scolds. She rolls her eyes and picks a bit off the top anyway.

"Ugh, this is delicious." She moans. Peeta and Katniss grin and give each other a high five. Then Peeta grabs some plates and a knife. He slices the cake into 8 equal pieces.

"Who are those two pieces for?" I ask, pointing at the remaining pieces.

"Rye and Prim." He smiles. "Anybody want to go up and bring this to Rye's room?"

"Can't you do it?" Finnick raises an eyebrow. I take a bite of my piece of cake and sigh. This was amazing.

"I'm not going in there. I only go in if I desperately need something. Otherwise I avoid it as much as possible."

"Is it that bad up there?" Gale asks with a full mouth. Crumbs fall out of his mouth and I laugh.

"It sure is. So, anybody..?" He asks. Katniss rolls her eyes and grabs the plate.

"I'll go up."

"You're amazing."

**Katniss' POV**

I walk up the stairs and then knock on what Peeta told me is Rye's door.

"Come in." Rye yells. I open the door and my face nearly scrunches up at the sight of his room. There's dirty clothes all over the floor, his bedsheets are bunched up at the end of the bed, his closet is open and filled with a pile of clothes as well, and there's a smell of pizza, soda, and dirty laundry. "Oh, hey Katniss." He says, his eyes not leaving the small tv screen. I step over some magazines and clothes and nearly trip over his schoolbag.

"We made cake... what's dying in here?" I say, putting my free hand over my nose. He rolls his eyes and happily accepts the piece of cake.

"Thanks." He says, ignoring the fork and grabbing the piece of cake with his free hand. He takes a gigantic bite and then looks at me again. "Anything wrong?" He asks. I look around the room again. There's posters of famous athletes, cars, and women on the wall. Next to him, on his bed, I find a plate with some crumbs. I faintly make out a chair under the pile of stuff in the corner.

"Aren't they from _Panem's Next Top Model_?" I ask, pointing at one of the posters. He gives me a crooked grin and nods. I roll my eyes and put my hands on my hips.

"What the hell have you done with your room?" I turn around and look out of the window. You couldn't see my house, but the house at the other side of this one.

"Hey, stop insulting my room. It's mine and I think it's perfect the way it is."

"You need help. As does your room. It smells like rotten eggs or something." My nose scrunches up again and he laughs.

"Shut up, Everdeen." He flings a dirty sock at me with his foot and I jump just in time. He laughs even harder and I glare at him.

"Alright, I'm going. Try not to suffocate in here." I say before closing the door. I hear him snort before I walk downstairs. Peeta wraps an arm around my shoulders and frowns.

"Bad, isn't it?"

"I thought you were exaggerating, but..." I shudder once and everyone laughs. Then Mr. Mellark walks in and smiles.

"Hi Peeta, Katniss, Madge." He says. He turns to Finnick, Annie and Gale and sticks out his hand. "Hi, I'm Peeta's father." He introduces himself.

"I'm Finnick, and this is Annie, and this is Abigail." Finnick grins. Gale rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

"It's Gale, don't listen to him." He tells Mr. Mellark. He laughs and nods.

"It's only Gale because the government denied his request to change his name into 'Abigail Fail Fat Whale Squirrellover HOTthorne.'" Finnick says matter of factually. We all burst out laughing and Gale shoves Finnick roughly.

"Well, nice to meet all of you." Mr. Mellark says. Then he says some things to Peeta and walks out. We all sit on the sofa and then turn on the tv.

"We really watch too much television." I say.

"Yeah." Gale says, eyes never leaving the screen. I laugh and shake my head. After a few minutes the phone goes, but Peeta's in the bathroom. I get up and answer.

"Say 'hello, Mellark residence speaking!' Go on, say it!" Finnick whispers with a goofy grin. I roll my eyes and sit down again.

"Hello?" I say.

"Hi, sweetheart. Who am I speaking too?"

I frown at the old, raspy voice.

"You're the one who called, you should be telling me who _you_ are." I retort. He scoffs.

"You've got spunk. I like that, kid."

"Um.. thanks?"

"It's Haymitch Abernathy."

"Mr. Abernathy-"

"No, call me Haymitch. I hate when people call me Mr. Abernathy." He grunts.

"Fine. Haymitch, who are you calling for?"

"Peeta Mellark, my newest addition to the wrestling team."

"You're Peeta's trainer?" I ask.

"Why do you sound so surprised, sweetheart?" I can nearly hear him smirk. I roll my eyes. He was getting on my nerves with his 'sweetheart'.

"Don't call me sweetheart." I say.

"So what _should_ I call you? I don't even know who you are, kid."

"It's Katniss."

"Are you Peeta's sister or something?"

"No, I'm.. his girlfriend." I didn't really feel comfortable telling Haymitch this. I didn't even know him.

"Oh, Peeta has a girlfriend, hmm?"

"Yep."

"Alright then. Why don't you go and fetch your boyfriend for me and tell him to get his ass on the damned phone? I don't have all day." He says impatiently. I roll my eyes and smile when I notice Peeta's back.

"Peeta, your trainer's on the phone." I tell him. He frowns and takes the phone from me.

"Hello? Yes, this is Peeta. You're my.. but- yes... well I actually... no... you want to meet me? Okay... well-.. yes, I do, but- you- I'm busy..." He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Fine, fine. I'll meet you in the park in half an hour. Yeah. Okay, see you then." He puts the phone down. "Haymitch wants to meet me. Today."

"You haven't met him yet?" Finnick asks.

"No, he wasn't at school last week so I didn't meet him. It was my P.E. Teacher who informed me I was on the team. But now Haymitch wants to meet me. Apparently he wants to know who his 'newest addition' is." He shrugs slightly.

"Do you need us to come with you?" Finnick asks hesitantly. You could tell he didn't want to go, he looked far too comfortable on the sofa.

"Nah, I'll be fine. Although he did ask if you could come too, Katniss."

"Me? Why me?" I ask. He shrugs.

"Said something about you having spunk."

We both put our shoes and coats on and say goodbye to the others, who have decided to just stay on Peeta's sofa till we come back. We walk outside and Peeta's fingers slide in mine. I can tell by the way he keeps looking around and squeezing my hand he's nervous.

"Are you okay?" I ask. He looks at me and nods.

"Yeah, yeah. But.. what if he doesn't think I'm good enough for the team?" He says softly.

"You're perfect for the team. Don't worry." I say. He smiles and squeezes my hand once. We walk around the park for a while. "Where did he say we should meet him?" I ask.

"Under a big oak tree." He says. Then he looks around and rolls his eyes. The park was filled with oak trees. We walk for another five minutes until we see a gigantic oak tree, with underneath it a bench. Sitting on the bench is a man with messy hair, a stubbly chin, and a bottle in his hand. Peeta looks at me and I shrug. It could be him. I could imagine this guy having the voice on the phone. We walk over to him a bit hesitantly.

"Mr. Abernathy?" Peeta asks. The man looks up.

"Who wants to know?" His eyes narrow slightly.

"I- it's Peeta Mellark, sir." He rubs the back of his neck. Haymitch gives us a small, crooked smile and stands up.

"Ah, Peeta. And this must be the lovely, and ever so friendly Katniss?" He says. I narrow my eyes at him and nod. He chuckles and starts walking. "How about a walk?"

We follow him and Peeta walks in the middle of us.

"So, why did you want to meet me, sir?" He asks. Haymitch takes a swig from his bottle.

"It's Haymitch, son."

"Uh, okay, Haymitch. Why did you want to meet me? After all, we are on our school holiday." He says. Haymitch shrugs slightly.

"The competitions start soon, and I have to think of a way to buff you up in time. So I thought I'd meet you, see who I'm dealing with this year." Haymitch says with a low voice.

"Oh." Peeta answers.

"How come I've never seen you at school before?" I ask, raising one eyebrow. He shrugs.

"I only go to your school twice a week, to train the boys who think they're better than the rest, after school. Unless you go to training you won't see me, sweetheart." He says. I roll my eyes slightly at the nickname.

"So how many weeks do I have till the competitions start?" Peeta asks.

"Three."

"Wh-what?! Three weeks?" Peeta's jaw drops.

"You heard me."

"I'll never be ready in time!" Peeta says, running a hand through his hair.

"Listen kid. You can give up now, or you can train with me after school and try to win this thing. I don't really care which option you choose. Easier for me if you choose the first, anyway." Haymitch takes another swig from his bottle.

Peeta sighs. "Fine. I'll train with you."

"Great. Now if you don't mind me, I'm going home. Get home safe. Or don't." He shrugs slightly and walks away without saying anything else.

"He seems nice." I try. Peeta just laughs and starts walking home.

**Finnick's POV**

After a while we hear the front door open. Katniss and Peeta walk in and take their coats off.

"And, how was he?" Annie asks. Peeta sighs.

"He's.. different than what I had expected. But he must be a good trainer if school hasn't fired him yet."

Gale turns the television off and we start walking back to Katniss' house for dinner. When we enter the living room, everyone freezes. Liam's got Prim pushed against a wall, and they're making out like there's no tomorrow. Liam and Prim both pull back and stare at us with red cheeks.

"H-hi, everyone." Liam says. I smirk at both of them and watch as Liam quickly takes his hands off of Prim's hips and takes a step back.

"I, uh.. I think I should be getting home.." He says awkwardly. Prim nods quickly and tells him she'll call Louis to come and pick him up. She walks out of the room and the six of us just stare at him. He squirms and looks down, shifting his weight every few seconds.

"So, Liam. How are you?" Katniss asks. He looks up and nods slightly.

"Yeah, I'm, uh, fine, thanks." He says. Katniss nods as well.

"You've got something on your cheek." I say. He wipes both cheeks with the back of his hand. "No, no... oh, wait a second, you can't get the redness away, never mind." I smirk. His cheeks and neck turn an even darker shade of red and I laugh. Annie just looks at me with a disapproving look on her face. I can already hear her scold _You shouldn't embarrass him like that!_

Finally, Prim comes back in and says Louis should be here in five minutes, and that they should wait in the kitchen. Liam sighs of relief and quickly exits the room after her.

"Finnick! You shouldn't have been so evil, he was embarrassed enough without your comment!" Annie scolds. _I knew it_. I laugh and shrug.

"It's his own fault he was practically dry humping her in the living room-"

"Finnick! Liam was _not _dry humping my baby sister!" Katniss says loudly.

"Katniss! We can hear you!" Prim moans from the kitchen. I burst out laughing. I could just imagine Liam's face right now.

**Prim's POV**

I don't think I've ever seen his face this red. I chuckle and squeeze his hand softly.

"He was pushing himself so close to her she would be pregnant if she didn't have any clothes on!" Finnick says loudly.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Katniss yells back.

"Oh my god.." Liam murmurs, putting his hands over his face.

"I think you better give Prim the talk soon, Kittykat." Finnick says.

"One- Don't call me Kittykat. Two- They don't need _the talk_. They're both perfectly innocent." Katniss says, sounding like she's trying to convince herself more than Finnick. I feel my face heat up again and look at my feet.

"Oh yeah, it really looked like they're innocent." Finnick says. I could imagine him saying this with a gigantic smirk on his face.

"Oh my god, can you two talk quieter, please?" I yell. They just ignore me.

"Prim's innocent. Okay? She is." Katniss says.

"Alright Katniss, if you saaay so." Finnick sings. Katniss groans. A few seconds later I hear her stomping into the hallway, and then the kitchen door opens, where Liam and I are sitting on the counter.

"You're innocent, aren't you?" Katniss asks. She looks desperate.

"I- uh, yeah, I suppose." I say. She sighs and smiles before closing the door and walking out again.

Someone knocks on the door and Liam and I go to answer it. I open the door and see Louis smiling at us.

"Hi Prim. How are you?" He asks.

"I'm fine, thanks. You?" I smile.

"Oh, I'm..." He trails off as he looks at someone behind us. I turn around and see everyone gathered around in the hallway.

"Louis." Gale greets him. He wraps his arm around Madge's shoulder and pulls her close.

"Gale." Louis swallows once and then looks down at Liam. "We gotta go. Nice seeing you all." He says quickly. Liam turns and gives me a kiss on the cheek before following his brother into the car. They drive away and I close the door.

"Liam is Louis' little brother?" Gale asks. I nod and his face scrunches up slightly. "I would have thought you'd date someone who isn't... related to _Louis_." He says. I laugh and push him playfully.

"Shut up, Gale."

"Your boyfriend must be a pretty decent kisser, rosy cheeks." Finnick grins devilishly. My cheeks flush and I look down.

"Let's just have dinner." I murmur, walking past them.

**Madge's POV**

After dinner we watch tv again for a while, and Finnick, Annie and Gale pack their bags for tomorrow.

"I can't believe you're going tomorrow already." I say, sitting on the sofa next to Gale's bag. He sighs and nods.

"I know. I had a great time though." He smiles. I smile back and he gives me a quick kiss. Then we all put our pajamas' on and get ready for bed. I comb my hair once and then lie down on the mattress I happily share with Gale. After a minute he joins me and wraps an arm around my waist. The others lie down as well and Peeta turns the lights off. We all say goodnight and I hear Katniss and Peeta whisper some things to each other.

"Madge?" Gale whispers after a few minutes.

"Yes?" I whisper back.

"Do you want to go to District 9 with me tomorrow?"

I turn around and look him in the eyes.

"District 9? With you? Alone?"

"I have family there. We could stay at their house. My aunt always complains that I never visit her."

"I can't just go to District 9 with you.."

"Why not?"

I think to myself. _Why not?_

"Fine. I'll go with you." I say after a minute. He grins and gives me a kiss on the cheek before falling asleep.

**Author's Note: Two. Freakin'. Weeks. I'm ashamed of myself. I went from updating twice a day to once every two weeks. *sigh* Is it enough to tell you that I wanted to update but couldn't? I know most of you probably don't wanna know, but if you do want to read my explanation, read this, and otherwise.. don't?**

**My laptop broke a few days after I uploaded the last chapter. It just wouldn't turn on anymore. I don't know why. So anyway, I brought it to this computer-fix-shop-thingy and he was like 'it will take at least five days' and I nearly died right there and then. Then I got it back last Thursday, _eight_ days after I bought it to them. But yeah, then I had homework and I've had to go to town three times to buy things for camp. Yes, my dearest readers, I'm going to the Ardennes (which is in Belgium) for a few days with school. On survival camp. I have to sport and work my ass off for four whole days. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the sporty type. The only sport I do is surfing. The internet. *ba dum tss* Alright that was a bad joke. Anyway, back to the point. Thanks for reading this if you did. The next update will probably be next Saturday/Sunday!**


	54. Chapter 54

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the lovely reviews! Here's chapter 54 :)**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 54_

**Madge's POV**

"So, yeah, I'm kinda taking her to District 9."

"Well well well. Why such a sudden change in plans?" Finnick asks. I keep my eyes closed and pretend I'm still sleeping.

"I dunno. I just..." He trails off and I imagine him shrugging.

"So basically you just wanna get laid?"

"Finnick! The fuck, dude." Gale says rather loudly.

"You're totally blushing!" Finnick yells enthusiastically.

"Thanks for waking me up." Katniss moans.

"Sorry Kittykat... Ow! What was that for?" Finnick says. Gale chuckles.

"I told you not to call me Kittykat. Now where's Peeta?"

"In the kitchen, Kit- Katniss."

"That's better."

I hear Katniss walk away, and then a door closes.

"I'm totally calling her Kittykat from now on, just to piss her off." Finnick says. Gale laughs and I smile at how loud and hearty it sounds.

"Oh, Madge, are you awake?" Gale then asks softly. I open one eye and see him walking over to me.

"Yeah, woke up a few seconds ago." I smile and ignore the smirk Finnick gives me behind Gale's back. Gale stretches his arm towards me and then helps me stand up. He gives me a kiss on my left temple and then smiles at me. I smile back and give him a kiss on his cheek, which is still light pink from what Finnick just said.

"Morning Madgypadgy." Finnick says.

"Morning Finnywinny."

He laughs and gives me a thumbs up.

"Loving the new nickname." He smiles. I chuckle and drag Gale into the kitchen with me. He snaps his fingers once and Peeta leans back from Katniss' face.

"What?" He says. Gale laughs.

"Whoa, sorry for interrupting, but Madge and I are getting kinda hungry." He smirks. Peeta rolls his eyes and takes his hands off of Katniss' waist. Katniss says good morning to us and grabs all the bread and toppings. We put it all on the table and sit down. A few seconds later Finnick and Annie walk in as well.

"It's such a shame the three of us are leaving already." Annie says during breakfast.

"Make that four." Finnick smirks at me.

"Four?" Annie frowns.

"Yeah, Madge and Gale are going to District 9. To do.. stuff." He wiggles his eyebrows at both of us and I glare at him.

"We're not going to 'do stuff', as you put it." Gale says.

"Promise?" Finnick then says. Gale stays silent and looks at me once.

"You know I don't do promises-"

"You just won't promise because you think something is gonna happen, don't you Hawthorne?"

Gale's cheeks go red and I feel my jaw drop.

"Is that why you invited me?" I say softly. His head snaps up.

"No, no! I just-"

I throw my sandwich down and stand up.

"Madge-"

"Just shut up." I say, walking past him quickly.

**Peeta's POV**

"Way to go, Finnick." Katniss murmurs.

"Why is this _my_ fault?" Finnick asks.

"You started this conversation and had to go on about how Gale 'wanted stuff to happen' or whatever you said." Katniss says loudly, her eyes narrowing as she stares at him.

"It's not my fault that-" Finnick starts standing up and gesturing wildly.

"Guys, guys, it's nobody's fault." I say quickly, standing up between them. Katniss and Finnick both glare at each other for a second before Katniss shrugs once and sits down again. Finnick rolls his eyes and sits down as well.

"Peeta's right. Couples fight sometimes, they'll be fine." Annie smiles at me. I nod.

"It's their first fight though, and it's all Finnick's fault."

"Say that one more time, Everdeen-"

"Finnick, Katniss!" I say. They both look down and pick at their sandwiches.

"Somebody should check on them." Finnick murmurs. Annie and Katniss nod. Then they all look up at me.

"What you lookin' at me for?"

"You're one of Madge's best friends and you're... good with words, maybe you can help them settle this down or something." Finnick says. Katniss nods.

"I think you should go, too." She says.

"Oh, so _now_ you agree with Finnick?" I murmur as I stand up. She smiles and gives me a kiss on the cheek. Annie tells me she heard them go upstairs. I walk up and stop in front of Katniss' door.

"I just can't believe you'd ask me to go just so you can fuck me!" Madge yells.

"I didn't- Oh my god, Madge. Do you really think I'd-"

"I don't know! I thought Finnick was joking when he said that you wanted to get laid this morning!"

"You heard that?"

"Yes, I heard that!"

"Madge, he _was_ joking."

I bite on my bottom lip and contemplate going back downstairs. It feels wrong to just listen to them, but barging in doesn't seem like the brightest idea either.

"You- you asshole!" Madge says loudly.

"Why the fuck am _I_ an asshole? If someone here's the asshole, it's you for thinking I'd actually ask you to come with me just so I can fuck you!"

Oh no.

"Jesus, Gale!" Madge yells, her voice trembling slightly. Two seconds later the door swings open and Madge walks past me.

"Madge-" I try.

"Fuck off, Peeta."

Ouch.

I turn around and see Gale glaring at me with a sad, angry look in his eyes.

"Gale-"

"Don't make me repeat her words, Mellark." He murmurs as he walks past me as well.

Double ouch.

I wait a few seconds and then walk out and close Katniss' door. I walk downstairs slowly and into the living room, where Madge is at one side, packing her bag, and Gale is at the other, pulling at an imaginary thread on his backpack. Finnick, Annie and Katniss are standing in the middle of the room, looking from Madge to Gale and back. Then they look at me. I wave Katniss over and she follows me into the kitchen.

"So I guess that didn't go well?" She whispers.

"Basically she says he only asked her to go with him so he could.. sleep with her, and then she called him an asshole, and he said _she_ was the asshole."

"Doesn't sound good."

"It sure doesn't." I sigh. We walk back into the living room. The room is filled with an awkward silence.

"So. You should start getting ready.." Katniss says. Annie and Finnick nod and get dressed. Madge gets dressed as well and then sits on the sofa with her arms crossed. Gale just stands there. He's dressed and ready as well, and all he can do is wait until Finnick and Annie are ready. He walks over to the sofa slowly and sits at the other side, crossing his arms as well. I immediately feel guilty for thinking this is kinda funny.

"So, um.. are you.. going to four or nine?" Katniss asks Gale. He glances at Madge and then shrugs. "And are you going to nine?" She asks Madge. She shrugs as well, staring at her shoes. I roll my eyes and turn around. I grab my bag and get dressed in the bathroom. Then I brush my teeth and run a hand through my hair a couple of times. When I walk back out, Madge and Gale are in the exact same position.

"Guys.." I start. Their heads snap up and they both glare at me. If looks could kill, I'd be dead by now. "Never mind." I mutter. I turn around and see Finnick walk into the room again.

"So, lovebirds, what's up?" He says enthusiastically. Madge and Gale just glare at him.

"You are so stupid." I whisper, my hand subconsciously going to my forehead.

"How late does the lovetrain to District 9 leave?" Finnick goes on, totally ignoring my comment.

"The _train_ leaves at the same time as the one to District 4 does." Gale murmurs.

"We'll have to leave soon then, if you want to catch it." Finnick says. Gale just shrugs again. "Madge, have you told your father yet?" She shakes her head. "Well then why don't you call him now?" Finnick presses the phone into her hands. She stares at him for a moment, then glances at Gale.

"I'm not sure if I want to go." She says softly. We all stay silent for a minute.

"Separate rooms." Gale suddenly whispers.

"What?" Madge asks.

"We'd be in separate rooms. My aunt probably wouldn't let us sleep in the same bed. I knew that. I tried to tell you. I didn't, and still don't, expect anything to happen." He says softly. Madge swallows once and then looks down again.

"I'm sorry I called you an asshole." She says.

"I'm sorry I called you an asshole too."

"I deserved it. I should have believed you when you said-"

"It's fine. Can we just forget this even happened?" Gale asks hopefully. Madge nods and sits closer to him. He puts his arms around her and gives her a kiss on the cheek. Finnick grabs my arm and slowly pulls me out of the room.

"Told you I'd fix it." He tells me with a smug grin on his face.

**Katniss' POV**

We walk to the train station quickly, as we're nearly late. It took Madge and Gale fifteen minutes on the phone to convince Madge's father to allow her to go to District 9 with Gale. She had to promise she'd call him every morning and every night, and she had to come home on Saturday. That gave them three full days, if you counted today as well. We didn't have to go to Madge's house, as she already had a bag filled with clothes with her. After everyone said goodbye to my mother and Prim, we could go.

We arrive at the train station, and I scan the place until I find the two trains they need. We walk closer to them, and then Finnick drops his bag and pulls me into a hug.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you this morning, Kittykat." He smirks. I stomp on his foot and he yelps. "Alright, I deserved that one." He says after a few seconds. I smile and give him another hug.

"It was fun. I'll see you soon." I say. He nods and I turn to Annie.

"Katniss, I'm really gonna miss you. We had a great time." Annie smiles. I nod and give her a hug.

"Call me tomorrow, alright?" I say. She nods and I smile. Then I let her go and turn to Gale.

"Gale, have fun in District 9. You too, Madge." I say. They both smile and nod.

"Thanks for letting us stay again, Katniss. Have fun at your sleepover with Peeta tonight." Gale smirks. I feel my cheeks redden slightly.

"How do you know about our... Madge!" I say. She chuckles.

"Sorry Katniss."

I roll my eyes and give both of them a quick hug. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, alright?" I wink. Both their cheeks turn red and Madge snorts.

"What exactly _wouldn't_ you do, Katniss?" She raises one eyebrow. I slap her right arm lightly and she laughs.

"Alright, hurry up, or you'll miss your train." I say to the four of them. They all nod and say goodbye one last time before walking into their trains. Peeta grabs my hand and we watch as Finnick and Annie sit in the back of their train. Finnick opens the window and waves at us. We wave back and their train starts moving.

"Bye Peeta, bye Kittykat!" He yells. I give him the finger and he laughs, closing the window again. A few seconds later their train is out of sight and we turn to see Madge and Gale's train is just leaving as well. They both wave at us and we wave back until they've gone around the corner.

"Well today was interesting." Peeta says. He slides his fingers into mine and I nod.

"It turned out fine though."

"Yeah, I suppose it did." He smiles. "So, do you just wanna go back to your house? I'll help put the mattresses away and stuff." He suggests. I nod and we walk back slowly. When we enter my living room, Prim and Liam are sitting on the ground, leaning against the sofa next to each other. Liam nuzzles Prim's neck and she giggles.

"They're so adorable." Peeta whispers. I nod but don't really listen to what else he says, because my eyes are fixated on Liam's right hand. It's slightly in between her thighs, dangerously close to her private area. Finnick's suggestion of giving Prim _the talk_ keeps sounding like a better plan. I clear my throat loudly and they both look up. Prim smiles.

"Hi guys." She says. We both say hello and Peeta picks up one of the mattresses. I pick up another and we drag them upstairs.

"Do you think I should give Prim the talk?" I whisper. He puts one of the mattresses down and then takes mine from me and puts it down as well.

"Well I think she knows most.. things. She's 13 already, Katniss." He says as we walk downstairs again. We grab the remaining mattress and bring it upstairs together.

"But, Liam and her are quite serious for their age. And I'd feel better if I knew Prim was sure about.. what she was doing. Protection wise, I mean." I say. He puts the mattress down and exhales loudly.

"You could tell her if you want. It wouldn't hurt." He says.

"Will you help?"

"Me? Why?" He asks. I shrug and his face scrunches up slightly. "I don't wanna be there when you give Prim _the talk_. That would be... weird. She's like a sister to me."

"Well she's my _real_ sister, now be a man and get your ass downstairs." I say. He laughs and shakes his head slightly.

"Fine, fine."

We walk downstairs and Liam says he has to get home already, because he has to babysit his little sister. Prim walks him to the door and gives him a quick kiss before walking back in to us.

"Little duck, can we talk?" I ask.

"Sure, what's wrong?" She says. I take a deep breath and ignore the fact that my cheeks are heating up already.

"I want to have a talk with you."

"What about?"

Sweet, innocent Prim.

"About sex." I say.

"Katniss. Always straight to the point." Peeta laughs. Prim's face scrunches up.

"Do we have to?" She moans.

"Yes, now sit down." I say and point at the seat across from mine and Peeta's.

She sighs. "Fine."

"Now, you and Liam are pretty serious, am I right?" She nods. "And when you get older, way, _way_ older, you're going to want to do certain things. And if you don't use protection, you'll get pregnant, or you might get an STD." I say. She nods again. I lean closer to Peeta and put my hand to his ear.

"Do you have any protection with you?" I ask. He blushes for a second but then nods. He grabs his wallet and then pulls out a small plastic square. I raise my eyebrows. "Why do you have a condom in your wallet?" I whisper. His cheeks go dark red and he shrugs. I roll my eyes and turn to Prim again, holding up the thing in my hands. Her eyebrows raise slightly and she looks at Peeta, whose face now looks like a lobster.

"Peeta, pass me a banana." I say. He gives me a banana from the fruit bowl and Prim groans.

"You're not really going to do this, are you Katniss?" She moans.

"No, you are." I say, handing the things to her. Her jaw drops and she stares at me for a second.

"That's cruel, Katniss." Peeta says. Prim nods and I shrug slightly.

"Show me you know how to do this and you're free to go." I say. Prim groans again and slowly starts taking the wrapper off the condom. She glances up at both of us for a second before putting it on the banana professionally and quickly, rolling it all the way down. My jaw drops and I stare at her as she puts it down in front of us.

"Sex ed classes, Katniss." She says before standing up and walking away.

**Gale's POV**

"It's beautiful..." Madge exhales. I smile and nod. District 9 was like those cute little villages you'd see in movies. A farmer nods at us as we walk by. I walk up to my aunt's door and knock three times. A few seconds later the door opens.

"Gale! What are you doing here?" My aunt gushes, shuffling closer and planting a wet kiss on my forehead.

"Hi Florence." I smile. She pinches both of my cheeks and my face scrunches up.

"You've gotten so big!" She murmurs, trailing her hands over my whole face.

"You saw me a few months ago." I say. She chuckles and steps back.

"And who may this be, hmm?" She says, smiling at Madge.

"This is my girlfriend." I say.

"I'm Madge Undersee, nice to meet you." Madge smiles, sticking out a hand. My aunt looks at her hand for a second and then laughs, pulling her into a big hug.

"Nice to meet you too, sweetie." She says. She pulls back and then opens the door wider so we can go inside. We walk into the living room and put our bags down. "Sit, sit, make yourselves at home. I'll make us all some famous Hawthorne-coffee."

We sit down and my aunt leaves the room. "Hawthorne-coffee?" Madge whispers. I chuckle.

"It's coffee with a load of sugar and foam." I explain. She smiles and Florence comes back in. She gives us both a cup and then sits down carefully.

"So, why did you decide to come? Surely it wasn't to pay me a visit." She says.

"I just felt like taking Madge somewhere, really." I say. "And I thought, what better place to stay than in my favorite aunt's house?"

"Your only aunt." Florence corrects me.

"And my favorite." I grin. She laughs and shakes her head slightly.

"You can stay in the small guestroom upstairs."

"I thought there were two guestrooms?" I frown.

"Yes, but one's being refurnished at the moment. If you had called to tell me you were coming, I would have finished it earlier." She says.

"Oh. Thanks, Florence." I smile. She nods and tells us we can go upstairs and put our bags away. We walk upstairs and I bite my bottom lip.

"Are you okay with this? I'll sleep on the floor otherwise." I say. Madge laughs and shakes her head.

"It's fine. Really. It was just the idea that you only wanted me to come for.. you know. That annoyed me." She says. I smile and give her a kiss on the cheek. We put our bags down and I smirk at her.

"Is it wrong to say you're really hot when you're mad?" I say. Her cheeks flush slightly and she pushes my arm playfully, a big smile on her face.

**Katniss' POV**

"Just give me that shirt." Rye says as we put the last plates away. The three of us had just had dinner.

"Why do you want it so bad?" Peeta smirks slightly, raising an eyebrow. Rye sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

"I'm going on a date with this girl I've liked for months now." He confesses softly.

"Aw, my big brother has a crush!" Peeta sings. Rye glares at him and tries to hide the blush spreading from his neck to his cheeks. "What's her name?"

"Not telling you."

"Oh come ooon!"

"No way."

"Please?"

"Nope."

Peeta sighs and tells him he can grab the shirt from his closet. Rye smiles and thanks him.

"Do I know her?" Peeta yells as Rye walks up the stairs. I hear him stop for a second.

"Yes." He answers before quickly closing the door. Peeta frowns and thinks for a few seconds. Rye comes back down, wearing one of Peeta's red button-down shirts and different pants. He bites his bottom lip and pulls at the collar. "How do I look?" He asks nervously.

"Like crap." Peeta teases. I laugh and walk over to Rye. I straighten his shirt for him and play with his hair for a minute until it looks good. Then I take a step back and smile.

"There." I say. He smiles and gives me tight hug.

"Thanks." He grins. I sit down next to Peeta.

"It's that girl from down the street, isn't it? Haley?" Peeta says. Rye shakes his head. "That girl from your biology class then, Sarah?"

"Nope."

"Oh.. oh, I know! It's Rachel. It has to be Rachel." Peeta says smugly. Rye laughs and shakes his head.

"Not even close." Rye says. Peeta frowns.

"Oh my god, it's Katie!" Peeta yells. Rye rolls his eyes and shakes his head again.

"Give up, Peeta, you're never going to guess the right name." Rye says. Peeta looks down and mumbles some girls names to himself. Then he looks up in horror.

"Do you like Madge or Katniss?"

Rye starts laughing loudly. "Really? That's what you think? Ugh. I mean, no offense Katniss, but..." He shivers. I roll my eyes and Rye chuckles.

"Rye, who is it?" Peeta nearly begs. Rye looks at his watch.

"Well would you look at that, it's time to pick up-"

"Pick up who?!"

"My date."

Peeta groans and Rye laughs. He walks to the door and grabs his coat. He opens the door and looks at us.

"Have fun. I'll say hi to Delly for you."

"Yeah, fine." Peeta murmurs. Two seconds later his head snaps up and his jaw drops. Rye grins and walks out, closing the door behind him.

"He likes _Delly_?! Whoa." Peeta says. Then he grins. "I'm gonna tease him so much with this."

I chuckle and drag him over to the sofa.

"Where are your parents?" I ask.

"One of their friends is getting married in District 5. They wont be back till tomorrow evening." He says. "And Leo's with Isabel, in her District..." He trails off, a small, mischievous grin on his face. I roll my eyes and snuggle closer to him. The phone goes and he grabs it. He puts it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hey Peets, what's up?" Finnick asks.

"Not much, just on the sofa with Katniss."

"Hey Finnick." I say.

"Oh, hey Kittykat!" He says.

"I swear, the next time I see you..." I murmur. Finnick laughs.

"Anyway, guess what!" He says.

"What?" Peeta says.

"I told you to guess."

Peeta sighs. "Um, you've finally realized you're the stupidest person in Panem?"

"Ha ha, Mellark. Try again."

"You have enough money for that boat you want?" I try.

"Not bad, but no."

"Just tell us." Peeta says.

"I have to model for that magazine tomorrow!"

"Oh, that's great!" I smile.

"Uhu. I'm quite nervous really."

"_The_ Finnick Odair is nervous?" Peeta teases.

"Well yeah. I mean, I've got jet lag, or... train lag. So I won't look as amazing as I usually do tomorrow." He says.

"I'm pretty sure 'train lag' doesn't exist." Peeta says.

"Oh, it does. I get all tired and stuff." Finnick says.

"I'm sure you'll look just fine." I say, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, I know." I can practically hear him grinning. "Anyway, Annie says hi, and I gotta go. I'll talk to you guys later." We say goodbye and he hangs up. Peeta puts the phone down and then grabs a blanket. He puts it over both of us and then wraps his arms around me. I snuggle into his chest and lay my head on his shoulder. We decide to watch a movie. After that Peeta yawns and stretches his arms.

"Tired?" I smirk. He shakes his head but then yawns again. I chuckle and tell him we should get ready for bed. He nods and we walk upstairs, into his bedroom. Then he goes to the bathroom.

_It's now or never, Everdeen._

I take my shirt off, revealing one of the the lacy bra's Madge and Annie bought me. Ugh. How did Madge convince me to wear this? The straps were itching my shoulders, and the panties felt too small. I take my pants off as well and then sit on Peeta's bed. I cross my legs and take my hair out of its braid. The door opens and Peeta walks in.

"By the way, I was..." He looks up and trails off, his eyes going wide. I give him a shy smile and his mouth opens and closes a few times. "New bra?" He says after a minute.

"Yeah, Madge and Annie bought it for me.." I say. He grins and walks over to me slowly.

"I'll have to thank them." He whispers huskily. Two of his fingers trail one of the straps down, and then trail the top of my bra, his fingertips skimming my breasts softly. I inhale sharply and he smirks.

"I take it you like it, then?" I say after a few seconds. He looks up at me.

"Who's even talking about _liking_ it.." He mutters, grasping my hands and pulling me off the bed. He makes me twirl once and then grins, putting his hands on my hips. "I love it."

He leans in slowly and takes my bottom lip in between his. I grab his shirt and pull it over his head roughly. Then I unbuckle his belt and push it down a bit. He wiggles his legs until they fall down to his ankles. He kicks them off and pushes me onto the bed gently. He lays on top of me and pins me to the bed with his hips.

"I thought you were tired." I breathe as he places hot, wet kisses down my chest. He unclasps my bra and flings it onto the ground. Then he takes one of my nipples in between his lips. I gasp and he smirks up at me, his eyes dark and smoldering.

"I _was_ tired..." He says, running his hand between my thighs. I inhale sharply and he licks his lips, "but you've got my full attention now, don't worry." He whispers. His free hand tugs at the side of my panties softly until they're on the ground. "Shall I grab the box?"

I smirk and nod. He gives me another kiss and then leans back, reaching into his bedside table. He grabs the famous blue box and opens it. His smile falls from his face.

"What's wrong?" I say. He looks at me and then throws the box over. I open it and see there's a little note inside.

_Hey little bro, thanks for the condoms_

_- Leo (A.K.A your absolute-favorite brother)_

Peeta groans and throws his head back. He mutters a few curses under his breath and then runs a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry." He frowns. I sigh and crawl over to him.

"It's fine." I smile and straddle his lap. He huffs and throws the box back into his bedside table.

"I'll kill him when he comes back." He mutters. Then his eyes light up and he gives me a playful grin. "But until then, I'll have to find something else to do."

He flips us over suddenly so he's on top. He doesn't waist any time and pushes a finger into me. I gasp as a warmth starts building inside me.

"Peeta.." I say, my voice coming out as a whisper. He makes a certain movement and the warmth spreads and spreads for a few minutes, until I can't take it anymore. Waves of contempt flow through me and I moan.

"Fuck, Peeta." I give him a lazy grin and he smiles. He kisses me fiercely until the feeling ebbs away and I'm able to think straight again. "Your turn." I smirk.

**Madge's POV**

I find Gale laying in bed already. We had to share the two-person bed. I didn't mind. I put my clothes down and turn the light off. Then I tiptoe over to him and climb under the blankets.

"I had a great day today. Thank you." I whisper. He smiles and pulls me closer to him.

Today he took me for a walk through the district, showing me the park, farms and other cool stuff. Later Florence made us dinner and Gale and I played a card game. Somewhere half way Gale decided that every time you got a certain number, you had to give the other a kiss. Let's just say I had to give him a lot of kisses.

"You're absolutely welcome." He grins. "You're gonna love what we're doing tomorrow."

"Oh?" I look up at him and he pretends he's locking his mouth with a key. I roll my eyes and he chuckles.

"Don't worry, you'll like it." He whispers. My breath catches in my chest as I suddenly feel him place wet kisses down my neck. His hot breath sends a shiver down my spine.

"Sure?" I breathe.

"Mmhmm." He murmurs, kissing upwards, across my jaw, and finally reaching my mouth. I prop myself up with my elbows and run a hand through his hair. His hands slide up my hips and then gently pull me on top of him. I bite his bottom lip softly and he groans.

"Gale? What are you two doing in there?" We hear Florence yell from the room next to ours.

"_Fuck._" Gale whispers, pinching his eyes shut. "Nothing, Florence." He then yells back. He lifts me off of him. "The walls are paper thin. She can hear _everything_." He explains in a whisper. I sigh and nod, giving him one last kiss. He smiles and wishes me good night. I snuggle up against his chest and he lays one arm on my waist loosely. I get comfy and fall asleep in a blink.

**Author's Note: I officially ship Rye and Delly. _(Relly?) _Yes, I know I updated three days too late, but oh well. Anyway, as you may have heard, there's a rumor that Isaac King will be playing Peeta's older brother (Rye?) in Catching Fire. Now, am I the only one thinking he looks like a Josh Hutcherson - Tom Daley mix?  
I'm not sure when the next update will be, as I have a sleepover Saturday, and won't be home till late Sunday. I'll try and update soon! :)**


	55. Chapter 55

**Author's Note: Thanks for waiting, here's chapter 55. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 55_

**Katniss' POV**

My hand searches for Peeta but only finds his pillow. I open my eyes and see it's 10:48. I take a deep sniff and smell pancakes. I stand up and put my underwear and bra back on. Then I just pick up one of Peeta's button-down shirts and put it on quickly. I walk downstairs and feel a grin take over my face when I walk into the kitchen. Peeta's shirtless, wearing a pair of sweats low on his hips. He's just flipping a pancake into the air and catching it with a plate. I tiptoe over to him and then wrap my arms around his torso. The muscles in his back stiffen for a second before he turns his head and sees it's me.

"Good morning, handsome," I grin. He smiles shyly and kisses my nose.

"Good morning, beautiful," he says. He turns around and flips another pancake. I lay my head against his back and close my eyes, taking another big sniff.

"Those pancakes smell amazing," I murmur. I feel his muscles move for another minute before he turns around and wraps his arms around my waist. He looks me up and down once and sighs happily.

"I love when you wear my clothes. You just look really sexy," he smirks, leaning down and giving me a soft kiss. "Then again, I think I love it more when you wear _no_ clothes." He whispers. I chuckle and run my hands down his abs, lingering on the v-shaped indent above his sweatpants.

"Same," I say. He laughs.

"You love when I wear your clothes?"

"No, that last bit. Stop being a smartass," I smirk back at him. He laughs again and pinches my behind once before turning around and grabbing two plates stacked with pancakes. I follow him to the table and sit down across from him. I bite into a pancake and moan. "This is delicious," I mumble with a full mouth. He smiles and opens his mouth to say something.

"Where are my pancakes?"

We both turn our heads and see Rye walk in, a goofy grin on his face.

"Nonexistent," Peeta says.

"I bet you made me some, because you're the _bestest_ brother in the world," Rye says. Peeta looks up at him for a moment before rolling his eyes and nodding his head at the counter.

"They're there," he says. Rye grins again and pats Peeta's shoulder as he walks past. He grabs his plate and then sits down between us.

"Soooo, how was the date with _Delly_?" Peeta smirks, "We didn't hear you come in last night."

"It got late," Rye shrugs, his neck and ears turning pink.

"Uhu. So where did you take her?"

"To a restaurant."

"And did you have fun?"

"We did."

"Are you going on another date soon?"

"Yep."

"You're not going to give me any juicy details or anything, are you?" Peeta raises an eyebrow.

"You got that right," Rye smirks. Peeta sighs and Rye laughs. "So how was _your_ night?"

Peeta glances at me and grins mischievously. I grin back and look down. Rye looks at both of us and rolls his eyes. "Never mind. Don't even want to know anymore," he says with a disgusted face. Peeta laughs and then asks when Leo is coming home.

"Um, I think today. Why?" Rye answers.

"I'm gonna kick his ass," Peeta says. Rye laughs again and I roll my eyes.

"And _why _are you gonna kick his ass?"

"He.. did something," Peeta says vaguely. Rye just stares at him for a moment before his eyes light up.

"Ooooh. The condom thing."

"Yeah- wait, what? How do you know about that?" Peeta narrows his eyes at him. He chuckles and stretches his fingers before stuffing half a pancake into his face.

"Is was smy iseah," he says with a full mouth.

"It was your idea?"

Leo swallows hard and then nods. "Uhu. He was gonna go to the shop and buy some, but I thought that was so much hassle, so I told him he could take yours."

".. You _what_?!"

"It's not like you needed them anyway- oh..," Rye looks at both of us and then bursts out laughing, "Wait, did I cock block you?" Peeta glares at him and Rye continues laughing. "Oh, brilliant, brilliant. I'm a genius without even trying," Rye grins smugly.

"You do know that now this means I should kick _your _ass, right?" Peeta then says. Rye's grin falls from his face as he stares at his little brother, who is nearly as tall and probably twice as strong as him. They both stare in silence for a few seconds before Rye jumps out of his chair and runs up the stairs. Peeta runs after him and a few seconds later I hear a loud _thump_ coming from the room above me. I smile and shake my head as I stand up and rob Rye's last pancake.

I lean against the counter in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the delicious pancake and looking around the kitchen that I've been in a hundred times before. I hear the front door open, and then Leo screaming, "Honey, I'm home!" before he walks in. He's carrying a large duffel bag. He sees me and laughs.

"I think you forgot something," he says, smirking. I look down and remember I'm not wearing any pants. I feel my cheeks redden slightly and stick out my tongue.

"You've seen me without pants before, shut up," I say, thinking of that night we both couldn't sleep. He chuckles and puts his bag on the table.

"Ah, yes, I missed you too Katniss," he says. I roll my eyes and smile at him.

"Have fun with Isabel?" I ask, picking up the plates and putting them in the sink. He sits down and stretches his arms and legs.

"Yeah, it was great, we-"

"Leoooo!" Rye yells, running over to him and picking up the back of the chair so Leo falls out of it. Leo groans as Rye sits on him. "Miss me?" Rye smirks. I laugh and Peeta walks in as well. He walks over to them and punches Leo's arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" he exclaims.

"For taking my stuff without asking me."

Leo frowns in confusion for a few seconds before laughing. "Oh, yeah, sorry about that," he grins. He pushes Rye off of him and stands up properly. Then he grabs his bag and tells us he'll be upstairs. Rye goes up to get dressed too. Peeta walks over to me and puts his hands on my hips. He smiles and gives me a small kiss.

"Is it bad of me for immediately thinking of what you did to me last night every time I see you and your mouth, and wanting to just carry you upstairs?" he says with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. I feel myself blush and run my hands up his arms.

"Not necessarily bad... very naughty though," I tease, running my right hand through his hair. He makes a sound in the back of his throat and I feel my knees wobble when I look into his eyes. He looks like he wants to do exactly what he just said. His hands slide to my behind and then pull me flush against him.

"Get a roooom, please, I was just about to have brunch." Leo says loudly, walking straight past us and making a sandwich. Peeta rolls his eyes and lets me go. He takes a step backwards and then entwines our hands. We walk upstairs and get dressed. I brush my hair and put it into a neat braid. When we're both dressed and ready, we walk downstairs and sit down.

"I wonder if Madge and Gale are having a good time," Peeta says.

**Madge's POV**

"I'm not sure if that's the handiest thing to wear for what we're going to do today," Gale says when I walk out in a baby-blue dress.

"Maybe if _someone_ told me what we were going to do, I could choose the right outfit," I say. He smirks and pulls me towards him quickly, planting a wet kiss on my forehead.

"Wear pants and boots," he advises. I sigh and walk back into the bedroom. I grab my skinny jeans, a red plaid top and my black boots. When I walk back out he gives me a thumbs up. "Perfect," he grins. I smile and give him a quick kiss. We say goodbye to Florence and jump into her car, which we were allowed to borrow.

"It's really hot here," I say. He nods.

"Yeah, after district 4 and 1, this is the hottest district," he says. I smile and look at the farms we're passing by. I've only been here for a day, but as far as I know, we aren't going in the direction of town or the train station. I decide to send Finnick a quick text.

_Hey, good luck with your photo shoot! :)_

He replies quickly, _Thanks Madgypadgy!_

After fifteen painful minutes of wondering what we're going to do, Gale stops the car and we get out. As soon as I'm out, he puts one hand over my eyes.

"Gale!"

"Yes, Madge?"

"I can't see!"

"That was kinda what I was aiming for," he snickers. I roll my eyes and slap behind me, hitting his chest. He puts his free arm around my waist and walks slowly. After a minute or so I hear a door open and close, and someone walking towards us.

"Gale! How ya doin'?" the old man says. Gale says he's fine and says my name is Madge. I stick out a hand and feel someone shake it.

"Nice to meet you, Madge," the man chuckles. I smile and the man whispers something into Gale's ear.

"Uhu. Thanks," Gale replies. We walk again for a few seconds until he finally takes his hand off my eyes.

In front of me are two horses, each with a saddle on their backs. I gasp and tentatively reach a hand out to stroke the brown one's nose. He makes a sound and I smile.

"Gale, they're beautiful..," I say softly. He smiles and then pats on one of the saddle's. I realize what he means and take a step back.

"Oooh no, I don't think so, Hawthorne. I am not climbing that horse," I say.

"Wanna climb me instead?" he wiggles his eyebrows. I laugh and feel my cheeks burn up.

"Seriously though, on the first date you make me climb a friggin' tree, and now you're making me ride a horse?"

"Um, yeah. Believe me, _Undersee_, it's really a load of fun. Come on, we can ride one together," he says. I bite my bottom lip and think about it. The worst that can happen is that I fall off and break something. I shudder at the thought and sigh.

"Fine, but if I fall, I swear, you're gonna pay," I say. He grins and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

"That's my girl. Here, take this," he hands me a helmet and puts one on himself as well, "come on, I'll help you up." I nod and grab the saddle. He tells me to put one foot on it, and then he'll lift me. I do as he says, and after a minute I'm sitting on a horse. He smiles and climbs on behind me. His front is right up against my behind, and I feel the redness spread across my face again. He puts one arm around my waist, and uses the other to guide the horse.

He uses the side of his foot to tell the horse to move. The horse starts moving slowly and I lay my hands on it's neck. The horse then starts moving faster and faster, and after a few moments it's nearly running. I feel the wind blow into my face and smile.

"This is actually really cool," I say. Gale chuckles.

"I knew you'd like it," he says softly. I feel him press a kiss to my neck.

"Hey, Hawthorne, eyes on the road, not my neck," I tease. He laughs and pinches my bottom once before making the horse turn.

After twenty minutes Gale makes the horse stop. He jumps off and I look around.

"How am I supposed to get off of this thing?"

He rolls his eyes. "Just jump off."

"But it's high."

"Just slowly lift your right leg until you're sitting sideways... yes, like that," he says. Then he steps closer and puts his hands on my hips. I put my hands on his shoulders and he lifts me off easily.

"Thank you," I smile. I take my helmet off and walk over to the car. He pulls out a picnic basket and I laugh.

"Really? A picnic basket again?"

He chuckles and shrugs. "Well fine, if you don't want any food..."

"No, no, a picnic basket is fine. Give me those sandwiches," I say quickly, my stomach rumbling. He laughs and climbs onto the car hood. He sits down and leans against the window. I sit next to him and grab a sandwich. Suddenly he puts something on my head.

"Aaaw, you look adorable!" he says. I take it off and see it's a cowboy hat. I smile and put it on him. "How do I look?" he asks, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms. I laugh.

"Like a real cowboy," I tease. He chuckles and scoots closer so our body's are touching.

"My butt and legs hurt after sitting on that horse," I say after a few moments. He bursts out laughing and shakes his head.

"I can give you a massage later if you want," he then says, running a hand through his hair seductively.

"Hmm. That _would_ be nice..," I say. He grins and wraps an arm around my shoulders.

We finish all the food and ride back home after a while. When we get in, we find a little note on the table saying Florence is out for the day, and she'll be back by seven.

"So, how about that massage you promised me?" I say. Gale rolls his eyes playfully and follows me upstairs.

"Back massage?" Gale asks as I start climbing on the bed.

"Uhu," I say. I lay down and bite on my lip for a moment as I consider taking off my shirt.

_Why not?_

I take off my shirt and lay down, on my stomach. I turn my head and smirk at Gale.

"Coming?"

His cheeks are redder than I've ever seen them. He opens his mouth a few times and licks his lips.

"Uh, I-I'm, yeah, I'm, er, c-coming," he stutters. I smile and he climbs on the bed. Sitting on his knees, he puts his warm hands on my lower back. "Just tell me if I press too hard or something, okay?" he says. I nod and sigh when I feel him knead into my back slowly. He makes circular movements and then starts rubbing my shoulders. He moves my bra straps down onto my arms and I turn my head and raise an eyebrow at him.

"Otherwise it'll dig into your skin when I massage you," he explains with a playful smile. I roll my eyes and lay my head down again. After a few minutes I feel my eyes droop.

"This is really nice..," I whisper slowly. Gale chuckles and plants a soft kiss on my left shoulder, which sends a shiver down my entire spine. He notices and starts placing kisses from the bottom of my back to my right shoulder. Then he kisses my neck and I turn around and wrap my arms around his neck. I pull his lips to mine and he rolls us over so I'm lying on top of him.

I tug at the top of his shirt and he leans back for a second to take it off. I gasp when his chest touches mine again. He rests his hands on my bottom and squeezes softly.

"You're beautiful, by the way," he whispers huskily when I have to lean back for breath. I blush and silence him with my lips.

**Katniss' POV**

"Ha! Show me your cards, Rye!" Prim yells happily. Rye sighs and throws his cards onto the floor.

"I'm positive you're cheating," Rye says with a grumpy look on his face. Prim just laughs as she takes his potato chips. We were playing poker, using sweets, cookies and chips to bet with. Somehow, Prim kept winning of Rye, Peeta and I. We were all sitting on Prim's bedroom floor after she convinced us to come up and play.

"I'm just very good at it," Prim says.

"How?" Peeta asks.

"I always play it with Liam and Rue," she says nonchalantly.

"You play _poker_ with your friends?" I say. She nods. "You know, that isn't very good," I mumble. Prim just rolls her eyes and puts a chip in the middle. We all put another chip in as well. Then everybody shows their cards. Again, Prim wins with a full house. Peeta groans and Rye throws his cards down.

"I'm done, I give up," he says. Peeta nods and I look at the clock.

"Alright Prim, time for bed. It's getting late," I say. She sighs and takes most of our chips and cookies before going to the bathroom. We clean up and go downstairs.

"We better get home..," Peeta says. I walk both of them to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well," he says softly. He gives me a soft kiss and squeezes my hand. Then he leans in and whispers, "I love you," with a grin on his face. I smile and tell him the same.

"Sleep well, Rye," I say. He smiles and waves once before they both walk away. I walk inside and say goodnight to Prim. Then I walk into the kitchen.

"Thanks for letting them all stay for a few days..," I say softly. My mother looks up from her book and smiles.

"No problem. I hope you all had fun."

"Yeah, I think we all had an amazing time," I smile.

"Well then that's good. Are you going to bed now?"

"Yeah. Sleep tight, Mom."

"You too, Katniss."

**Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update. I have a new fic, called _The Pizza Boy_. You you should check it out if you like Modern-day AU's. But anyway, I was trying to write this chapter for aaages, but it wouldn't work because I had the idea of that new fic in my head. Well, I finally finished it, but I'm sorry if it's kinda crappy. By the way, this fanfic will be coming to an end soon. I don't think there will be more than, like, 10 chapters. And that's _probably_ including the epilogue. Oh well. I'll see. Anyway, thanks for reading! :)**


	56. Chapter 56

**Author's Note: I am so, _so_ sorry for the ridiculously long wait. There's an explanation at the end of the chapter, so I won't keep you from reading chapter 56 any longer than needed. In case you kinda forgot what's been happening: Finnick and Annie went back to their district two days ago, Madge and Gale are in District 9, and Katniss and Peeta.. well, they're just being their usual sickeningly-lovey-dovey selves. Now, enjoy!**

****Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 56_

**Katniss' POV**

The first thing I notice when I wake up is the pounding headache that feels like somebody's hitting my head with a hammer. I groan and open my eyes- immediately shutting them again because it makes me feel dizzy. I murmur some incoherent words to myself and then slowly sit up straight. I then notice that not only is my head hurting, I also feel like anything I'll eat will come straight back up again.

"Great," I sigh, getting up and going to the bathroom. When I come back out a few moments later I sit down on my bed again and look at the clock. _07:16. _

_Why the hell am I up this early?_

I lay down again and close my eyes, falling asleep again quickly.

"Katniss, are you alright?" I open my eyes again and see a pair of worried blue eyes staring at me. "It's nearly twelve already, usually you're up by now..," Peeta murmurs. I exhale deeply and turn around slightly so I can face him without having to crane my neck.

"Hi Peeta," I say, my words coming out slightly slurred. He smiles and puts his hand on my cheek. Then he furrows his eyebrows.

"You're hot," he says, moving his hand up to my forehead.

"You're not so bad yourself," I joke. He looks into my eyes again for a second, shaking his head slightly and murmuring something about 'cheeky...'. Then he frowns again.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asks seriously. I nod.

"Yeah, I'm-" I try, but then start coughing loudly, "fine." Peeta rolls his eyes.

"I'm getting your Mom, she's a nurse, she'll tell me if your sick or not."

"No, Peeta wait, stay," I protest weakly, reaching out for him. He turns around and looks at me for a second before walking back and giving me a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I'll be back in a second, promise," he whispers softly. I nod and he smiles before leaving and walking down the stairs. The _thumpthumpthump _of him walking down the stairs makes my head throb even harder and I curse the person who made me sick.

Before I know it, my mother and Peeta are both in the room, standing at my side.

"..So I think she's sick," Peeta finishes his speech. My mother nods and kneels down so her eyes are at the same height as mine.

"How are you feeling, Katniss?" she asks softly.

"I'm fine," I croak, my throat starting to feel rather dry and painful. My mother puts her hand against my forehead and then against my throat.

"Would you like something to eat, Katniss?" She then asks. My face immediately pales and I shake my head quickly. She smirks slightly and turns towards Peeta.

"She's definitely sick, you were right Peeta. Ever thought of becoming a nurse?" She teases. The image of Peeta in a male nurse uniform crosses my mind and I hum appreciatively. They both turn around and raise their eyebrows at me for a moment before Peeta chuckles and shakes his head.

"Nah, that's nothing for me," he says. My mother tells me to rest and drink a lot of water and that if I need anything I just have to call her, as she'll be downstairs. She leaves the room and Peeta sits at the end of my bed, softly rubbing one of my legs.

"You should go home, otherwise you'll get sick too," I say. He rolls his eyes and stretches his arms.

"Do you really think I care?" he says, "besides, I can't leave you all alone here while you're sick, I'd feel terrible. And bored." Hr grins. I chuckle and a shiver runs down my spine. I then notice I'm freezing. Peeta notices as well and frowns for a second before standing up, rooting around my closet for a moment and then finding a blanket. He walks back over to me and scoops me up into his arms easily before sitting down and wrapping the blanket around me.

"Don't come so close, you'll get-"

"Shh, hush hush Katniss," he coos, ruffling my hair and smirking slightly, "ugh, you're so adorable." I glare at him and he chuckles, pressing a kiss to my temple. "Even when you glare you just look like a small, sick child," he coos again, brushing the hair out of my eyes. I roll my eyes and push his chest softly. I'm not even sure he notices it.

"Stop treating me like a child," I say, pouting slightly.

"Like what should I treat you, then?"

"A woman."

"I _know _you're a woman.." he trails off slightly, looking me up from my toes to my chest and then lingering there. I slap his cheek softly and he looks up at me again, a faint flush tinting his cheeks.

"Pervert," I murmur. He laughs and pecks my cheek quickly.

"Y'know, it's funny, Rye's sick as well," Peeta says after a few moments of silence. My head snaps up as I look at him.

"Seriously? Then he's probably the one that made me sick- oh god, I ate the other half of his pancake yesterday.." I groan. Peeta sighs and rolls his eyes.

"That's not very smart, miss Everdeen," he teases.

"Don't tease me, I'm not in the mood," I grunt.

"You're not in _the_ mood?" he wiggles his eyebrows and I roll my eyes again and snuggle into his chest more.

"Shut up, Peeta."

"Okay, okay.."

**Peeta's POV**

"Katniss, do you want anything to drink or something?" I ask after a few minutes. "Katniss?" She doesn't reply. I tilt her head slightly and see her eyes are closed peacefully, her mouth open slightly. I smile and lay her down carefully, making sure she's tucked in, and then laying the blanket on top of her. I kiss the top of her head, out of habit, probably, and then walk out of the room as quiet as I can. When I walk into the living room, Liam and Prim are lying on the sofa together. Literally _lying, _their legs tangled and cheeks slightly flushed.

I clear my throat loudly and cross my arms. Liam's eyes widen and he sits up straight quickly, pushing Prim off of the sofa in the process. He gasps and quickly helps her stand up again.

"Oh my God I'm so sorry Prim, are you okay?" He asks. She nods and rubs her head slightly.

"Looked like you were quite comfy there," I say when she's sat down again. Prim and Liam glance at each other.

"Well we were until _you_ walked in," Prim says, a hint of annoyance in her voice. I raise an eyebrow and she raises one back, crossing her arms as well. We stare at each other for a minute before Liam stands up and says he has to go to the bathroom. He passes me quickly, not looking into my eyes and then walks away.

"Prim-" I start.

"Shut it, Peeta-"

"You're 13-"

"He's my boyfriend-"

"You're too young-"

"We're completely innocent-"

"I don't like this-"

"I never asked you for your opinion-"

"Katniss will go mad when she hears about this."

Her eyes widen and she gets that innocent, little girl look back. "No, Peeta, don't tell Katniss, you know what she's like," she pleads.

"She's your sister, Prim, she found Liam grinding against you anyway the other day, so-"

"Uh..,"

I turn around quickly and watch as Liam stands in the door opening awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with beet-red cheeks.

"How about we go to the park or something?" Prim says quickly. Liam nods slightly and stared at his shoes. Prim glares at me as she passes by and I smirk slightly. A few seconds later I hear the front door open and close.

Suddenly I hear a loud groan coming from upstairs. I sigh and walk up quickly, finding Katniss leaning against the wall.

"Katniss, what are you doing?" I say, walking over to her and grabbing her hand.

"I was trying to get up to go to the bathroom, but I'm.. a bit dizzy..," she trails off, her eyes trying to stay focused on the wall. I put my left arm around her waist and slowly walk her over to the bathroom. When she comes back out a few moments later I do the same and walk her back to the bed. I lay her down and she smiles affectionately.

"Thanks, Peeta, you're the best," she murmurs, slurring slightly due to sleep. I chuckle and she falls asleep immediately. Suddenly Katniss' phone rings and I walk downstairs to answer it.

"Hello?" I say.

"Hi, this is Fish & Co., we'd like to remind you that your order of two hundred fish should be arriving any minute now!"

"Uh.. what order?" I frown. Why would Katniss order two hundred fish?

"Could you just repeat after me?" the man asks.

"Um, sure.." I reply, not knowing what else to do.

"I am.."

"I am.." I repeat.

"A total,"

"A total..."

"Moron."

"Mo- wait, is this you, Finnick?" I groan. He laughs loudly and I roll my eyes.

"What's up, Peeta?" He asks happily.

"Not much, just looking after Katniss, she isn't feeling too well," I say.

"Ah. That is _really _interesting, but wanna hear how my photo shoot went yesterday?" he says. I chuckle.

"Sure. How'd it go, Finn?"

"It was so much fun! According to the photographer I'm really photogenic and stuff!" he says excitedly.

"What did they make you wear?" I ask. The line stays silent for a few moments before he finally answers.

"You'll have to wait for the pictures..," he murmurs.

"Ouch. Not that good?"

"Well, it was.. different. And I don't know who in their right minds would wear it," he says. I laugh and tell him he probably looked great in it. "Well of course I did, girls will be throwing their panties at me after they see those photo's!" he laughs.

"How are Madge and Gale doing?" I ask, just to change the topic of girls throwing their underwear at Finnick. He groans and I can tell he's rolling his eyes.

"They're nearly as bad as you two, I swear," he says. I try to protest but he just goes on. "I mean, I texted Gayguy last night and he was like '_oh, it's so amazing, we're having so much fun, I took Madge on a date and she loved it, blah blah_'." I laugh.

"But so yeah, I kinda think he got laid last night, cause he was all like '_and I gave her a massage _and stuff'," Finnick says. I roll my eyes.

"Only because he gave her a massage _and stuff_ doesn't mean he.. they.. you know," I reason.

"Wanna bet? I'll ask him when he comes back, and if he got laid you're giving me ten bucks," he says, probably grinning.

"Finnick, I don't-"

"Alrighty then! Anyway, gotta go Peetypie, I'll call you when he tells me if- I mean, how- he got laid!"

And with that Finnick hangs up the phone. I chuckle and shake my head, putting the phone down as well.

**Katniss' POV**

When I open my eyes again, I notice it's dark outside and people are talking softly downstairs. I then realize I'm warm. No, not just warm, _hot_. Really hot. I fling the blanket and quilt off of me and stand up slowly, happily noticing that my headache isn't half as bad as it was before I went to sleep. I look in the mirror and my face scrunches up when I see myself. My hair is all tangled, my face sweaty, and I basically look like I slept for years. I quickly take off my pajamas and sit on the floor, which is nice and cold. I lay my cheek against the wall and sigh contently. Suddenly the door opens and a head of blonde hair walks in. Peeta frowns at the bed and then notices me sitting on the floor. He smiles and then looks down my body.

"Why aren't you wearing your pajamas?" he asks, walking over to me and sitting on the floor next to me.

"I'm burning," I tell him. He puts his hand on my forehead and my eyes flutter closed when the cold palm touches my skin. I put my hand on his to keep it there and he chuckles, putting his other hand on my neck. "Hmm.. this is good.." I mumble lazily. "What time is it, anyway?"

"Uh, nearly half eight," Peeta tells me. My eyes open and I stare at him in shock.

"Really? I slept _all day_?" I ask. He nods. "And you stayed here all day?" He nods again. I sigh. "You didn't have to do that, really," I whisper. He smiles and shrugs slightly.

"I wanted to. I had fun, anyway. Teasing Liam and Prim, calling Finnick – who by the way, will probably call you tomorrow to talk about Gale and Madge – and watching some tv," he says. Then he leans in to kiss me and I turn my head so he kisses my cheek. He lingers there for a moment before pulling back with a hurt expression.

"No kissing me until tomorrow, at least. I'm still sick, I don't want you getting sick as well," I say sternly, pointing a finger at him. He just stares at me for a second before his pout turns into a smirk. He grabs me by the waist and pulls me onto him so I'm straddling his lap. "Peeta-"

Of course, he cuts me off by pressing his lips firmly against mine. He leans back just a tiny bit and whispers against my lips, "I don't really care about getting sick."

Half an hour later, with swollen lips and tangled hair, we walk downstairs – I put my pajamas back on first, of course – and to the front door.

"Thanks for looking after me while I was sick. I think it's really sweet of you," I smile, pulling him into one last kiss. He grins and ruffles my hair before saying goodbye and going home.

I walk into the kitchen and my mother smiles when she sees me. "You look much better, Katniss. How are you feeling?" she asks. I grab a glass of water and shrug slightly.

"Better, I suppose. My head doesn't hurt as much, and I don't feel like puking anymore," I say. She nods slightly and tells me I should eat something before I go back to bed. I nod and have a quick sandwich. After that I walk upstairs and climb into bed again. And although I slept all day, I fall asleep as soon as I close my eyes.

**Author's Note: So I know it's a really boring, short chapter, but it's kinda a filler and I'm feeling sick. (And I'm sorry if there are millions of mistakes but it's too late to reread it and I just really wanted to upload.) There will be drama – yes, my dearest reader, you read that right – after Gale and Madge go back home. Thanks for reading, I'll definitely post the next chapter quicker than I did this one. **

**Now, if you want to know _why_ it took me so long, read the next paragraph. It's a really boring story and stuff and I wouldn't read it if I was you, but okay..,  
**

**So about three weeks ago I started writing this chapter. When I turned my laptop on one day, when I was about half way through the chapter, I realized it wasn't turning on. So, like, you can probably imagine me just sitting on my bed and hysterically going 'NONONONONOFUCKDONTYOUEVENDAR EYOUPIECEOFSHITOHMYGODNOPLEA SETURNONILOVEYOUYOUSTUPIDLAP TOPPLEASENOOO' (_yes, I am mental_). Anyway, I brought it to this little shop in town and this chubby little guy goes (with the worst English accent ever): 'Yes, it broken. I will make for you. Come back in two weeks.' So I go back two weeks later, and he goes 'No, can't fix it, sorry girl'.Then I got a new laptop about a week ago. And that brings us to today. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a nice week!**


	57. Chapter 57

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry the update took so long. There was a lot of family drama, plus I had millions of exams (okay maybe not a **_**million, **_**but a lot!) So anyway, here's chapter 57. By the way, I think the next chapter might be the last!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 57_

**Katniss' POV**

The next few days seem to fly by. I'm better before I know it, Madge comes back from her trip to District 9 with Gale, Peeta suddenly somehow owes Finnick ten bucks, we go back to school, and Annie's already planning our next trip to District 4.

I wake up, a week later, well-rested and in need of a long shower. I climb out of bed slowly and walk into the bathroom. I walk out twenty minutes later, squeaky-clean and feeling extremely hungry.

"Morning Katniss. Omelet?" my mother asks when I walk into the kitchen. I smile and nod.

"Please," I say. I sit down and wolf down my omelet, burning my tongue slightly in the process. "Isn't Prim up yet?" I ask. My mother rolls her eyes.

"No. I told her she's going to be late for school, but she just won't listen," she complains. I chuckle.

"Such a rebellious teenager-"

"Excuse me?"

We both turn around and see Prim walking towards us, smirking slightly.

"Just talking about how you're turning into such a little _rebel_," I say sarcastically, "soon you'll be dealing drugs and you'll have a drinking problem."

"Katniss!" Prim laughs. I shrug.

"S'true. Anyway, I gotta go to school, I'll-"

I get cut off by somebody barging on the door urgently. I frown and walk over to it quickly. I open the door and nearly gasp.

"Madge, are you okay?" I ask. Her eyes are red, and tears are streaming down her face.

"G-Gale, h-he-"

"Oh, hey Madge, what's up?" Peeta calls out from where he's just closing his door. He starts walking towards us and his eyes widen when he sees Madge's face. He comes over to us quickly and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Madge, what's wrong?" he asks. She sniffs and attempts to wipe away her tears.

"Gale, they- they called, and- he just- he's so brave- but so stupid- _why_ did he even- I just, he-"

"Madge, calm down. Take a deep breath. What happened?" I say. She exhales deeply and then looks me in the eye.

"Gale's in- in hospital."

I feel my knees weaken and Peeta curses softly.

"Why?" I ask weakly. Madge laughs humorlessly.

"For being brave. And stupid," she says. "Long story short, his stepfather came home drunk this morning after having not been home all night, and then tried to slap Gale's mom. Gale jumped in front of her and they had a fight. Police arrived after a few minutes luckily, and Gale's little brother- the one who phoned me- said his injuries weren't that bad, but- I _have_ to go to District 4. I just _have _to," Madge says quickly.

I nod. "I'm coming." Peeta frowns.

"What about school?" he says.

"I don't care, we won't _die_ from missing a day or two."

He sighs. "Fine. I'm coming too."

"You're great," I say, pecking him on the cheek before noticing Madge's chauffeur isn't here.

"Madge, how did you get here?"

"I walked."

"Does your father know you're here?" I ask. She smirks slightly, shrugging.

"I may or may not have grabbed some money, told Benedict I'm going to 4, and then sneaked out. Benedict said he'd cover for me for this morning. He'd have to tell my father later that I didn't come home with him, but I'll be in 4 by then so it's fine."

I laugh and quickly check if I have some money in my schoolbag. Then we walk to the train station. It's nearly completely empty, as it's a Tuesday morning. We walk up to the information desk and find a chubby boy, about our age, sitting behind the desk. His hair is nearly as greasy as the fries he's eating. _Yuck_.

"Um, hi, excuse me?" Peeta says. The boy looks up and chews slowly, eyeing the three of us. He doesn't say anything, so Peeta keeps talking.

"Hi, we were wondering if you could tell us when the next train to District 4 is..?" he asks politely. The boy looks up at the clock and shrugs. He then kicks his feet up onto the desk and continues eating.

"Um, excuse me? I said-"

"I heard you, and I don't know," the boy replies.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Peeta asks, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you have a timetable? I can actually see it, it's right there-"

"Listen kid, I'm on my break, okay? So go away and leave me alone," the boy says. Peeta exhales through his nose and braces his hands on the table, leaning forward.

"Listen _sir_, we're in a hurry, and we really need to know-"

"I said. _Leave. Me. Alone._"

Peeta grabs the boy's fries and throws them onto the floor. My eyes widen and Madge's jaw drops.

"Now listen to me. As I said, we're in a hurry," Peeta says calmly, although his eyes are angry, "so could you _please_ take a look at that timetable over there and tell us when the next train to District 4 is leaving?"

The man looks from Peeta to his fries on the floor and then groans, spinning around on his chair and muttering about _my lunch_ and _so damned hungry_. I give Peeta's bicep a squeeze and he smiles at me. The boy behind the desk turns around again and slams the timetable down in front of us.

"The next train to Four leaves tonight, at 19.25-"

"What?!" Madge exclaims. The boy stares at her for a moment before rolling his eyes.

"But, as I was _saying_, there's one leaving to Five in fifteen minutes. You'll be able to get a train to Four from there," he says slowly in a monotone voice.

"Thank you for your help." Peeta grins and turns around, walking away. He turns his head and smirks. "Oh, and sorry about the fries."

Madge and I start laughing and the boy glares at us. We walk over to where Peeta's sitting down on a bench and Madge groans.

"Ugh. Hungry. I'm gonna grab something from the vending machine, you guys want anything?" she asks. We both shake our heads and she walks away.

"So. What you did there was _terribly_ sexy," I whisper into Peeta's ear. His cheeks go red and he smiles dorkily.

"Was it now?"

"It sure was."

"Feel quite sorry for that man actually.. should I give him some money for some new fries?" he frowns. I roll my eyes and pull away from where I was whispering into his ear.

"And sexy, angry Peeta is gone," I joke. He laughs and nudges me with his elbow. A few minutes later Madge's back with a chocolate bar, two bags of chips, and a load of candy.

"Hungry, Madge?" Peeta asks. She sits down and frowns.

"I eat a lot when I'm nervous," she huffs.

Five minutes later the train to District 5 arrives and we all step in. We sit down and watch some other people get in as well. Not soon after, the train starts moving. We all sit in silence and watch as we pass by District 12.

"What if Gale's not okay?" Madge asks softly after a few minutes.

"He'll be fine, Madge-" I say, but she cuts me off.

"Have you seen his stepfather? Gale showed me a picture, and he's big. Like, really big. He could easily take an 18-year-old boy."

"He was drunk as well, Madge," Peeta reasons.

"Maybe he still had a bottle and smashed it across Gale's head. Gale could be blind. Or maybe he tripped him and now Gale's back is broken, and-"

"Madge. Breathe."

She nods and takes a deep breath.

"He'll be fine. Probably just a few bruises," Peeta reassures her. She nods slowly.

"Okay. Yeah. A few bruises. Okay."

Little did we know that it would be more than just_ a few bruises._

**Author's Note: Woohoo, cliffhanger, who doesn't love 'em? Anyway, sorry this is so short, but I felt like this was just the right place to stop the chapter? I swear on my Grandfather's cousin's best friend's goldfish's grave that I will update quicker than last time. ( No, seriously, I actually have some free time so next update shouldn't take too long :) ) **

**Like I said, next chapter will ****probably**** be the last (otherwise the one after will be the last,.. might actually do that because then there's a total of 60 chapters..), and after that still an epilogue. Thanks for all the amazing reviews! x**


	58. Chapter 58

**Author's Note: Hiii, here's chapter 58 (and I decided this is **_**not**_** the last chapter, yay)******

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 58_

**Katniss' POV**

"What. The. Hell," Madge murmurs as a woman with a bright green wig steps into the train. We were waiting for the train to leave District 5.

"I think it suits her," I say sarcastically, and Peeta snorts.

"She's probably from the capitol," Peeta whispers. We nod and watch as the doors finally close again.

"District 4 is only half an hour away. Stop biting your fingernails off," I tell Madge. She frowns.

"But I finished my food twenty minutes ago, I need _something _in my mouth to keep me busy- No Peeta, you filthy little perv, not like that," she says, glaring at Peeta, who's trying not to laugh. I roll my eyes and focus on the buildings flying past. Time goes by quickly, and suddenly the train's coming to a stop.

"Alright, come on, hurry up," Madge ushers, grabbing our bags and pushing them into our hands. We walk out and then realize we have on idea where the hospital is.

"Let's just ask somebody," Peeta says. I nod and tap a woman's shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss?" I say, and the woman turns around, and-

"I'm a mister, but what's wrong honey?" the man says with a high voice. I eye the make up and long hair and shake my head for a second before remembering what I was supposed to be doing.

"Uh, I'm sorry- do you know where the hospital is? The one nearest to the beach?" I say. The man puts one hand on his left hip and the other on his chin.

"Hmm, I'm not sure darling, but I think you go that way and walk straight on for about ten minutes, until you reach a school. Then go to the left, and from there you should be able to find it," he says. I smile and nod.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome sweetcheeks!"

I turn around and frown. _Weird people_.

We walk straight on, and after twenty minutes Madge groans.

"Are you _sure_ he said we're supposed to go this way?" she says, getting impatient. I nod.

"Yeah, he said that we have to go this way for ten minutes, until we reach a school," I tell her. She sighs and walks on again. After another five minutes she stops walking.

"It's not this way. I can feel it. I think we should go that way," she says, pointing to the right. I shake my head.

"No, I'm pretty sure we have to go this way. It would make more sense," I say. Madge turns her head and narrows her eyes at me.

"You're 'pretty sure'? How can you be pretty sure? We're not in your district, for god's sake!" Madge yells.

"Well if you want to go that way- fine! Go ahead!" I yell.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Madge snatches her bag off the floor and starts walking in a different direction. I start walking forward and huff.

"Stupid Madge and her stupid 'feelings', my god, how do you _feel_ which way to go? Is she superwoman or something?"

"Uh, Katniss?"

"What, Peeta?"

"I think she was right."

I turn around and glare at him. He looks at me with wide, innocent eyes. "I just think we would have seen it by now if this was the right way," he says.

"I can't believe you guys! You know what- if you think she's going the right way, why don't you just go and follow her?"

"Katniss-"

"No, no, it's fine, go ahead, and why don't you marry her while you're at it as well?"

"What-"

"I-"

"Katniss, that doesn't even make any sense," Peeta interrupts me with a little smirk on his lips. I glare at him and turn around, stomping away. He groans and follows me.

"Katniiihiiiis, just listen to me. Why don't we just ask one more person?"

"... Fine," I say reluctantly. Peeta grins and gives me quick kiss.

"That's my girl. Now, let's see.. oh, let's ask him," he says, dragging me over to a man with a mustache. "Excuse me, we were wondering where the hospital is?" Peeta says politely.

"Well I be telling ya it ain't far from here, that's for sure," he says. I frown.

"But, where it is?" Peeta asks again.

"Pretty close by," the man says. Peeta inhales deeply and I can nearly feel him trying not to roll his eyes.

"Could you tell us the address?"

"Sure son, just go down this road here and go to the right- you should see a sign that tells you where to go from there," the man says. Peeta thanks him and turns back to me.

"So Madge _was _right," he says. I roll my eyes.

"It was just luck," I murmur. Peeta laughs and entwines our hands, walking us in the right direction. Surely enough, after taking a right and walking for another minute or two, we find a big sign, saying _DISTRICT 4 HOSPITAL – 2 MILES_. We walk for another while until we're standing outside of the hospital.

"Alright, let's go in," I say. Peeta nods and we walk inside. Peeta finds a nurse and starts talking to her.

"Do you know where we can find Gale Hawthorne? I think he was brought in this morning?" he says. The woman checks her notepad and nods.

"Um, what's your name?"

"Peeta Mellark,"

"It says family only," she says.

"I'm his cousin," I tell her. She looks me over once and then looks back at Peeta.

"What about him?" she says.

"He's- He's my husband!" I say quickly. The woman looks at me again and Peeta raises his eyebrows at me, smirking slightly.

"Well Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, he's in room 381. You can take the lift, he's on the third floor," the woman says after another minute.

"Thank you!" Peeta says, grabbing my hand and pulling me away quickly, heading for the lift.

"Husband?" he murmurs as we quickly walk into the lift and press on number 3.

"Shut up," I murmur, smiling. He chuckles and we wait for a few seconds before rushing out of the lift and looking for room 381.

"There it is, 381!" I say, pointing to the end of the hallway. We walk there and knock on the door.

"Come in," we hear Madge say softly.

"God damn, she was here before us," I whisper before opening the door. The jokey-atmosphere between me and Peeta vanishes as soon as we see Gale lying there.

"Oh my God," I say, dropping my bag and walking over quickly.

"Hey Catnip," Gale says through swollen lips.

"Don't you 'hey Catnip' me, what the hell happened?" I ask. He sighs and shuffles up a bit so he's sitting against the wall.

"He came home, this morning. My 'step-father'. At, like, four in the morning or something? I woke up because he was really loud. He came in and started.. knocking over chairs and yelling incoherent words. So I went downstairs to see what was wrong. Well, he was drunk. Like, pissed. And he started calling my mom names and then suddenly he was lunging forward, and I just ran in front of her and pushed him away. We started hitting each other, he pushed me down and I fell face first onto a chair, which is why my face looks so bad," he smirks slightly. I look at the black eye, swollen lips and big cut on his right cheek.

"Then what happened?" Peeta asks softly. I got back up and tackled him to the ground while my little brother, who'd woken up because of all of the screaming, was calling the cops. They came five minutes later and took him away, and took me to the hospital. Then I found out I fractured one of the bones in my hand somewhere during the fight and possibly injured my foot as well somehow. My mom took the kids to a friend of her's, and she's at the police office right now. And.. yeah. That's about it."

"That's terrible," I whisper, and Peeta nods. Madge runs a hand through Gale's hair carefully. Gale sighs.

"Apparently he's been beating her this whole time. And I just.. I just feel so guilty, you know? All those times she 'fell from the stairs' or 'hit her head', it was just him. I just _hate_ him, so, _so_ much," Gale whispers. I squeeze his hand softly and sigh.

"It's not your fault, Gale," Peeta says, "you had no idea, you couldn't have stopped him. You shouldn't feel any guilt at all. You were so _brave_ for even just standing up for your mother like that, it's unbelievable. So don't feel bad about yourself," Peeta tells him honestly. Gale gives him a small smile.

"Thanks, Peet," he says softly. His eyes start drooping and after five minutes, he's snoring softly. The three of us creep out of the room and close the door quietly. We sit down on some chairs outside.

"I feel so sorry for him," Madge says. I nod.

"It's really terrible. What a douchebag, treating Gale's mom like that," Peeta says, disgusted.

"It'll all turn out fine," I say softly. Peeta and Madge sigh and nod.

"Yeah. Everything will be fine," Madge smiles.

**Author's Note: Sooo, next chapter, chapter 59, will be the last chapter, and then there will be an epilogue. Why not end it on this chapter, you ask? I just reeaallyy didn't want to have a total of 59 chapters. 60 is much better. So. I'll update soon, and I hope you all liked the chapter :)**


	59. Chapter 59

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! I just really wanted to be sure it was a somewhat-good ending. So I hope it isn't too bad. It's a bit shorter than usual as well, because it would have been weird to drag this chapter out any longer (this is like the second part of chapter 58, remember?) Anyway, last chapter already, here is chapter 59, enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is the owner of this amazing trilogy. This story is mine, although most characters are not.

_Chapter 59_

**Katniss' POV  
**

"And have you seen Gale's face? If I ever see that guy again I'll beat the shit out of him!" Finnick murmurs later that day. Annie and Finnick came about half an hour after Peeta and I showed up. "Who even _does _that? He's such a loser, my God."

"The media will just eat this story up. _'Politician beats wife'_. I can already see the headlines," Annie says grimly. We all nod.

Suddenly Gale's mother is walking around the corner, and we all stand up.

"Oh goodness, kids, where's Gale? I have to see him, he, and, he got hurt, and-" she says quickly, hyperventilating and nearly tearing up again.

"Misses Hawthorne, relax. Take a deep breath," Finnick says, walking up to her and putting a hand on her back. She takes a deep breath and Finnick nods. "That's better. Don't worry, Gale's fine. He doesn't look too good, but there's nothing major," Finnick explains. Gale's mother takes another deep breath and nods slowly.

"Alright. Thank you. I'm- I'm going to go in and see him now, okay?" she says. We nod and she walks past us, giving us all a sad smile before walking in, just as a nurse walks out. The nurse tells Gale's mother a few things before walking towards us.

"You were his cousin, if I remember correctly, right?" the nurse asks, looking at me. I nod and Finnick frowns.

"What? You're not his cousin," he says. Peeta facepalms himself and Madge lets out a small chuckle. The nurse gives me a long glare before rolling her eyes and looking through her notes again.

"Well, anyway, Gale Hawthorne will probably be allowed to leave again tomorrow morning, as there isn't a lot we can do for him except for give him medication," she tells us. We all smile and thank her as she walks away.

Gale's mother comes out about ten minutes later, saying she's letting him sleep.

"Why.. why didn't you tell anybody?" Peeta asks softly when we're all in the canteen, drinking some tea.

She sighs and shrugs softly. "I just. I don't know. I felt like it was my fault, I think? Like I deserved it or something..," she says.

"But you know that's not right, don't you? He's just an asshole- sorry," Annie says, smiling sheepishly at the end. Gale's mother chuckles and nods slowly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I know."

We all talk for a while, and Gale's mother asks us how everything is going in District 12.

"Shouldn't you be at school?" She asks. The three of us look at each other and shrug.

"Yes," Madge answers easily. Gale's mother shakes her head fondly.

"The three of you can stay at my house later, if you want?" Finnick says. I frown.

"I think we better go back. Peeta's parents don't even know he's gone, neither does my mother, and Madge's Dad won't find out until later. But thanks for the offer," I say.

We finish our drinks and then go upstairs to say goodbye to Gale. I realize it's already 5 o'clock and wonder how the day passed so quickly.

"Gale, we gotta go. My Dad's gonna be really angry, so I better get home quickly," Madge says. Gale chuckles and nods.

"Alright then," he says. Madge leans down and gives him a kiss. Gale's good arm reaches up and curls around her waist, pulling her closer. Suddenly the kiss gets very heated, and Peeta and I both look at each other before looking back at them and rolling our eyes.

Peeta clears his throat. "Um. Madge. We gotta. We gotta go. You know. Home. So..," he trails off, watching as Madge finally leans back and gives Gale one last quick peck before turning around.

"See you soon, Gale!" I say, and he nods, giving the three of us a small wave.

Finnick and Annie walk out with us and give us all a big hug.

"We'll see you soon, okay?" Annie says. We nod and all say goodbye to each other. Then we walk downstairs and out of the hospital.

"So.. anybody know where the train station is?"

"And now what?" I ask. Madge changes channel again and shrugs.

"Well now he took my mobile and I have to be home by 6 every day for two weeks, but he didn't really seem _that _angry," Madge says. It had been a few days since the incident in district 4.

"How did your mom react?" Madge asks Peeta. He frowns.

"Not too well. _'How dare you miss a day of school? And go to another district? Without telling us!' _I'm not allowed to go to Katniss' after school anymore, only on the weekends. It's only for two weeks though," he says.

"And you?" Madge asks me.

"My Mom got angry and told me to never do it again. Same for me, I'm not allowed to go to Peeta's after school," I sigh.

"Aw, now what are you both gonna do about your sexual frustration?" Madge teases, and Peeta wraps an arm around my waist.

"We still have weekends," he smirks, winking suggestively, and Madge laughs as I swat Peeta's arm.

The phone then rings and I pick it up and put it on speaker.

"Hello?" I say.

"Hey Katniss!"

"Gale?" Madge says.

"Hi Madgypadgy," Gale says.

"And Peeta," Peeta says.

"And Peeta," Gale repeats and chuckles.

"How are you feeling?" I ask him.

"I'm doing much better. I still have a load of bruises and my bottom lip and nose hurt, but I'm not doing bad considering how I was when I went to hospital," Gale says happily.

"That's great," Madge says.

"Any news on your stepfather?" Peeta asks.

"Um, not really. Well, he's on the front of every newspaper and he's on the tv all the time, as people are calling it 'a scandal' and that it has ruined his career for good. They're still deciding what punishment to give him though," Gale answers.

"Good. I hope he goes to jail for what he did," Madge murmurs.

"I miss you Madge," Gale moans.

"I miss you too Gale!" Madge says.

"Puke," Peeta says softly.

"I heard that Mellark!" Gale laughs, and we all chuckle.

"What are you going to do, fight me?" Peeta asks, and Gale scoffs.

"Oh, too soon, Peeta, too soon, but yes, I _will_ fight you, and I _will _win."

"Alright. Next time you're here then."

"Alright then."

"It's a date!" Madge says, and everybody laughs again.

"Of course it's a date. Anyway, I gotta go. Love you Peetieweetie," Gale says sweetly.

"Love you more Galeywayley!" Peeta says, making kissing sounds.

"Ugh, get a room," I joke, and Gale says goodbye again before hanging up.

"I better get home soon as well, it's nearly 6 o'clock," Madge says, standing up slowly and stretching once.

"Alright, see you at school Monday," I say, and Peeta says goodbye as well. Madge gives us a quick hug before leaving.

"So.. actually, I think I should go home as well. My parents are still angry and all that," Peeta says. I pout and he chuckles before connecting our lips in a sweet kiss. I run my hands through his hair and we sit there for a minute or two before he leans back again, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

"Okay. Time to go home," he says. I nod and stand up to walk him to the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" I ask.

"Do you even have to _ask? _I'll be standing at your door at ten in the morning, and don't try to stop me," he teases.

"I'd never deny you from coming, you know that," I tell him, leaning against the door frame.

"That sentence can be misunderstood," Peeta murmurs, and I laugh and slap his arm softly. "Alright, seriously though, I better go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow!" I say before closing the door.

_I'm so lucky to have Peeta and Madge. And Annie, Finnick and Gale of course_, I think as I walk back to my bedroom. _My life would be so different without them_. _So many things have happened since I met them._

_I wouldn't want to change a thing though._

**Author's Note; wow sorry for the crappy ending but I suck at endings so bad it's unbelievable. I'm going to save the sappy speech for the author's note after the epilogue, which might take a bit longer to upload because I'm not sure what I wanna do for that yet (I have three ideas running through my mind at the moment). Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the story!**

_**p.s. I now have a tumblr (yay) you can find the url on my profile but I post mostly one direction and nearly no thg (sorrrry) but if you like one direction you should followww because that would make me very happy x**_


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